too

/tuː/

//tuː// adv

"too" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“too” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #121 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.

#121
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Likewise.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

too vs TV
0% similar
too vs TX
0% similar
too vs Tu
0% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for too
PropertyValue
Headwordtoo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/tuː/
Letters3
Frequency rank#121
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “too” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). too lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for too is 3 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /tuː/. Corpus data places it at rank #121 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for too in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "TV", "TX", "Tu", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English to (“also, in addition to”), from Old English tō (“furthermore, also, besides”), adverbial use of preposition tō (“to, into”). The sense of "in addition, also" deriving from the original meaning of "apart, separately" (compare Old Englis… The correct English form is too, spelled T-O-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Likewise.
  2. 2
    Also, in addition marks a statement as equally valid as the preceding one.
  3. 3
    To an excessive degree, more than enough indicates that the degree of a quality is more than what is needed or wanted.
  4. 4
    To a high degree, very.
  5. 5
    Used to contradict a negative assertion with present and simple past forms of be, do, and auxiliary verbs
  6. 6
    Used for emphasis, without reference to any previous statement.

Etymology

From Middle English to (“also, in addition to”), from Old English tō (“furthermore, also, besides”), adverbial use of preposition tō (“to, into”). The sense of "in addition, also" deriving from the original meaning of "apart, separately" (compare Old English prefix tō- (“apart”)). Doublet of to; see there for more.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "too"?
"too" is spelled T-O-O. The IPA pronunciation is /tuː/.
What does "too" mean?
As an adverb, "too" means: Likewise.
What words are commonly confused with "too"?
"too" is commonly confused with "TV", "TX", "Tu". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "too"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "too" is /tuː/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "too"?
From Middle English to (“also, in addition to”), from Old English tō (“furthermore, also, besides”), adverbial use of preposition tō (“to, into”). The sense of "in addition, also" deriving from the original meaning of "apart, separately" (compare ... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “too”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is T-O-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /tuː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “TV” - see the side-by-side comparison. too vs TV
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list