Skip to main content
PlainSpell

token

/ˈtoʊkən/noun, adjective, verb

token is spelled T-O-K-E-N: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 6.6 times per million words in written English, the 9,313th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, token means “Something serving as an expression of something else” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of token is tokens.

How many letters and syllables are in token?

Letters5: T-O-K-E-N
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing6.6 times per million words; the 9,313th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is token?

Token appears 6.6 times per million words in written English, the 9,313th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce token?

  • UK /ˈtəʊkən/
  • US /ˈtoʊkən/

Token has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-token.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with token?

2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as token from its last stressed vowel (/oʊkən/):

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of token

  • tokens plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • more token comparative
  • most token superlative
  • tokening participle, present
  • tokened participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does token mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    Something serving as an expression of something else.

    According to the Bible, the rainbow is a token of God's covenant with Noah.

  2. 2

    A keepsake.

    Please accept this bustier as a token of our time together.

  3. 3

    A piece of stamped metal or plastic, etc., used as a form of currency; a voucher that can be exchanged for goods or services.

    Subway tokens are being replaced by magnetic cards.

  4. 4

    A small physical object, often designed to give the appearance of a common thing, used to represent a person or character in a board game or other situation.

    Everyone pick a token (hat, wheelbarrow, thimble, etc.) and place it on the Start square.

  5. 5

    A minor attempt for appearance's sake, or to minimally comply with a requirement; a formality.

    His apology was no more than a token.

  6. 6

    A member of a group of people that is included within a larger group to comply with a legal or social requirement.

  7. 7

    obsoleteEvidence, proof; a confirming detail; physical trace, mark, footprint.

  8. 8

    Support for a belief; grounds for an opinion.

adjective

  1. 1

    Done as an indication or a pledge.

  2. 2

    Perfunctory or merely symbolic; done or existing for appearance's sake, or to minimally comply with a requirement.

    a token gesture

  3. 3

    Included in minimal numbers in order to create an impression or illusion of diversity, especially ethnic or gender diversity.

    He was hired as the company's token black person.

verb

  1. 1

    To betoken, indicate, portend, designate, denote

    dorrẹ̅, dōrī adj. & n. […] Golden or reddish-yellow […] (a. 1398) *Trev. Barth. 59b/a: ʒelouʒ colour [of urine] […] tokeneþ febleness of hete […] dorrey & citrine & liʒt red tokeneþ mene.

  2. 2

    To betroth

  3. 3

    To symbolize, instantiate

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Token in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchsymbole (something serving as an expression of something…), jeton (piece of stamped metal used as a currency), gage (something given or shown as evidence of good…), symbolique, de service (merely symbolic, for appearance's sake)
GermanZeichen, Symbol (something serving as an expression of something…), Jeton (piece of stamped metal used as a currency), Andenken, Souvenir, Erinnerung (keepsake or souvenir)
Portuguesesímbolo, sinal (something serving as an expression of something…), ficha, vale (piece of stamped metal used as a currency), simbólico (merely symbolic, for appearance's sake), lembrança (keepsake or souvenir)
Spanishseña (something serving as an expression of something…), ficha (piece of stamped metal used as a currency), prenda, muestra, señal (something given or shown as evidence of good…), recuerdo (keepsake or souvenir)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does token come from?

From Middle English token, taken, from Old English tācn (“sign, symbol”), from Proto-West Germanic *taikn, from Proto-Germanic *taikną (“indicator, symbol, sign”), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to show, instruct, teach”) with Germanic *k rather than *h by Kluge's law.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after token