# total

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtəʊ.tl̩/ · frequency rank #627

## Definitions
1. An amount obtained by the addition of smaller amounts.
2. Sum.

## Etymology
From Middle English total, from Old French total, from Medieval Latin tōtālis, from tōtus (“all, whole, entire”) + -ālis, the former element of unknown origin. Perhaps related to Oscan touto (“community, city-state”), Umbrian 𐌕𐌏𐌕𐌀𐌌 (totam, “tribe”, acc.), Old English þēod (“a nation, people, tribe”), from Proto-Indo-European *tewtéh₂ (“people”). More at English Dutch, English thede.

## Easily confused with
- **tote** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/total-vs-tote)
- **Toth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/total-vs-toth)
- **trial** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/total-vs-trial)
- **towel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/total-vs-towel)
- **totem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/total-vs-totem)
- **totes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/total-vs-totes)
- **tubal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/total-vs-tubal)
- **totally** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/total-vs-totally)
- **Tal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tal-vs-total)
- **tot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tot-vs-total)
- **toa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toa-vs-total)
- **tol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tol-vs-total)
- **tool** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tool-vs-total)
- **toll** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toll-vs-total)
- **toad** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toad-vs-total)
- **tata** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tata-vs-total)
- **teal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/teal-vs-total)
- **toil** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toil-vs-total)
- **toga** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/toga-vs-total)
- **tora** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tora-vs-total)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ottal`, `toatl`, `totall`, `totla`, `tottal`, `ttoal`, `ttotal`

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