# tanto vs tao

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### tanto
*noun · IPA /ˈtɑntoʊ/ · frequency rank #47,369*
A traditional Japanese small sword or knife; often used as a secondary weapon to a katana.

### tao
*name · IPA /daʊ/ · frequency rank #15,289*
Alternative letter-case form of Tao: the way of nature or way to live one's life.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tanto-vs-tao