Which to use
“toh” is a verb and “tom” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #47,966
- “toh” frequency rank
- #1,582
- “tom” frequency rank
- 49548
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | toh | tom |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To collapse (fail or break down internally); to fall asleep or collapse from exhaustion. | The male of the domesticated cat, especially if not neutered. |
Where the eye mixes toh and tom
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses toh with tom
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: toh is [t˭o˦˨] while tom is /tɒm/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - h in “toh” becomes m in “tom”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 49548, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
toh is recorded at frequency rank #47,966, classified as averb, pronounced [t˭o˦˨]. 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 49548, this pair ranks #182,552 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of toh vs tom
Shared letters: ot. Private to "toh": h. Private to "tom": m.
"toh" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "tom" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "toh" and "tom" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "toh" vs "tom" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "toh" 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 #182,552 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "toh" and "tom" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Taf vs toh". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #182,552 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.