Which to use
“tasks” and “toss” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,904
- “tasks” frequency rank
- #8,220
- “toss” frequency rank
- 13124
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tasks | toss |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of task | A throw, a lob, of a ball etc., with an initial upward direction, particularly with a lack of care. |
Where the eye mixes tasks and toss
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses tasks with toss
A purely visual mix-up. tasks (/tɑːsks/) and toss (/tɒs/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13124, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tasks is recorded at frequency rank #4,904, classified as anoun, pronounced /tɑːsks/. toss is at rank #8,220, tagged as anoun, pronounced /tɒs/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 13124, this pair ranks #477,635 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of tasks vs toss
Shared letters: st. Private to "tasks": ak. Private to "toss": o.
"tasks" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC · "toss" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "tasks" for "toss" ever safe?
Frequency check: "tasks" vs "toss" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "tasks" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "toss" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #477,635 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tasks" and "toss" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "toss vs Toth". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #477,635 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.