# toad

> English word · Noun · IPA /toʊd/ · frequency rank #18,717

## Definitions
1. An amphibian, a kind of frog (order Anura) with shorter hindlegs and a drier, wartier skin, many in family Bufonidae.
2. A contemptible or unpleasant person.
3. An ugly person.

## Etymology
From Middle English tode, toode, tadde, tade, from Old English *tāde, a shortened variant of Old English tādie, tādiġe (“toad”).
Cognate with Scots tade, taid, taed, ted (“toad”). Compare also Danish tudse (“toad”), possibly originally from the same prehistoric root; also Swedish tåssa, tossa (“toad”), Old English tāxe (“toad”), Old English tosca (“toad”) by contrast.

## Easily confused with
- **too** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-too)
- **top** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-top)
- **tom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-tom)
- **toy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-toy)
- **ton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-ton)
- **toe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-toe)
- **tow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-tow)
- **tor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-tor)
- **TSA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-tsa)
- **TOS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-tos)
- **tod** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-tod)
- **tot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-tot)
- **tra** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-tra)
- **TOI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-toi)
- **Tok** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-tok)
- **TWA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-twa)
- **ToC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-toc)
- **tol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-tol)
- **TOV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-tov)
- **toh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-toh)

## Common misspellings (5)
`otad`, `taod`, `toadd`, `toda`, `ttoad`

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