toss

/tɒs/

//tɒs// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"toss" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“toss” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,220 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,220
frequency rank, English
4
letters
3
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A throw, a lob, of a ball etc., with an initial upward direction, particularly with a lack of care.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

toss vs TS
0% similar
toss vs toy
50% similar
toss vs tow
50% similar

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

Key facts for toss
PropertyValue
Headwordtoss
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tɒs/
Letters4
Frequency rank#8,220
Misspellings tracked3
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “toss” 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). toss 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 toss is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /tɒs/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,220 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 3 likely wrong-spelling variants for toss, with forms such as "otss", "tsos", and "ttoss". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "TS", "toy", "tow", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tossen (“to buffet about, agitate, toss; to sift or winnow”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old Norse (compare dialectal Norwegian tossa, dialectal Swedish tossa (“to strew, spread”)), or perhaps from an alteration of Middle English … The correct English form is toss, spelled T-O-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A throw, a lob, of a ball etc., with an initial upward direction, particularly with a lack of care.
  2. 2
    The coin toss before a cricket match in order to decide who bats first, or before a football match in order to decide the direction of play.
  3. 3
    A haughty throwing up of the head.
  4. 4
    Concern or consideration.
  5. 5
    A state of agitation; commotion.
  6. 6
    A measure of sprats.
  7. 7
    A handover from one presenter to another, announced by the first presenter.
  8. 8
    Nonsense; drivel.
  9. 9
    An act of masturbation.

Etymology

From Middle English tossen (“to buffet about, agitate, toss; to sift or winnow”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old Norse (compare dialectal Norwegian tossa, dialectal Swedish tossa (“to strew, spread”)), or perhaps from an alteration of Middle English tosen (“to tease, pull apart, shred; to wound, injure”). Compare also Dutch tassen (“to pile or heap up, stack”). The Welsh tos (“a quick jerk”) and tosio (“to jerk, toss”) are probably borrowed from the English.

This word in other languages

tiro(Español)jet(Français)Wurf(Deutsch)arremesso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: otss,tsos,ttoss

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of toss - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

otss2tsos2ttoss1
Edit distance from "toss"

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 "toss"?
"toss" is spelled T-O-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /tɒs/.
What does "toss" mean?
As a noun, "toss" means: A throw, a lob, of a ball etc., with an initial upward direction, particularly with a lack of care.
What words are commonly confused with "toss"?
"toss" is commonly confused with "TS", "toy", "tow". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "toss"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "toss" is /tɒs/. 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 "toss"?
From Middle English tossen (“to buffet about, agitate, toss; to sift or winnow”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old Norse (compare dialectal Norwegian tossa, dialectal Swedish tossa (“to strew, spread”)), or perhaps from an alteration of Middl... 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 “toss”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-O-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /tɒs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “TS” - see the side-by-side comparison. toss vs TS
  • 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