tote

/təʊt/

//təʊt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tote” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,518 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#20,518
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tote vs TT
0% similar
tote vs toy
50% similar
tote vs tow
50% similar

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

Key facts for tote
PropertyValue
Headwordtote
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/təʊt/
Letters4
Frequency rank#20,518
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tote” 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). tote 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 tote is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /təʊt/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,518 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for tote, with forms such as "otte", "toet", and "totte". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "TT", "toy", "tow", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Possibly from Middle Low German tûte, tǖte (“horn, conical paper bag”), whence also German Tute (“horn, bugle”) and German Tüte (“bag, paper bag”). Compare also Scots tout (“a drinking vessel”), Saterland Frisian Tüütje (“paper bag”), West Frisian tút (“spo… The correct English form is tote, spelled T-O-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A tote bag.
  2. 2
    A heavy burden.
  3. 3
    A kind of plastic box used for transporting goods.
  4. 4
    The principal handle of a handplane, for gripping the plane.

Etymology

Possibly from Middle Low German tûte, tǖte (“horn, conical paper bag”), whence also German Tute (“horn, bugle”) and German Tüte (“bag, paper bag”). Compare also Scots tout (“a drinking vessel”), Saterland Frisian Tüütje (“paper bag”), West Frisian tút (“spout, toot, kiss”), Dutch tuit (“horn, spout, nozzle”), Swedish tut (“spout”), Danish tud (“spout, nozzle”), Old Norse tútna (“to be blown up”). Possibly ultimately from Proto-Germanic *tut(t)- (“to stick out, protrude”). Alternatively, from a Bantu language; compare Kongo tota (“to pick up”), Kimbundu tuta (“to carry, load”), Swahili tuta (“to pile, carry”).

This word in other languages

tote bag(Français)Tragetasche(Deutsch)sacola(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: otte,toet,totte,ttoe,ttote

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tote - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

otte2toet2totte1ttoe2ttote1
Edit distance from "tote"

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 "tote"?
"tote" is spelled T-O-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /təʊt/.
What does "tote" mean?
As a noun, "tote" means: A tote bag.
What words are commonly confused with "tote"?
"tote" is commonly confused with "TT", "toy", "tow". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tote"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tote" is /təʊt/. 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 "tote"?
Possibly from Middle Low German tûte, tǖte (“horn, conical paper bag”), whence also German Tute (“horn, bugle”) and German Tüte (“bag, paper bag”). Compare also Scots tout (“a drinking vessel”), Saterland Frisian Tüütje (“paper bag”), West Frisian... 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 “tote”

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

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