Which to use
“tho” is an article and “tom” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,588
- “tho” frequency rank
- #1,582
- “tom” frequency rank
- 5170
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tho | tom |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The (plural form); those. | The male of the domesticated cat, especially if not neutered. |
Where the eye mixes tho and tom
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between tho and tom
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: tho is /ðəʊ/ while tom is /tɒm/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (article vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5170, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tho is recorded at frequency rank #3,588, classified as anarticle, pronounced /ðəʊ/. tom is at rank #1,582, tagged as anoun, pronounced /tɒm/.
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 5170, this pair ranks #516,334 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of tho vs tom
Shared letters: ot. Private to "tho": h. Private to "tom": m.
"tho" · 3 letters · shape CCV · "tom" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "tho" for "tom" ever safe?
Which is more common, "tho" or "tom"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "tho" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "tom" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #516,334 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tho" and "tom" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Taf vs tho". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #516,334 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.