totem

/ˈtoʊtəm/

//ˈtoʊtəm// noun

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

"totem" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“totem” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,952. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,952
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any natural object or living creature that serves as an emblem of a tribe, clan or family; the representation of such an object or creature.

Corpus desk

Index EN-totem · totem · English

totem · rank #25,952 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,952
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tourney

Nearest frequency peer: tourney (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “totem”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “totem” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

totem vs Toth
40% similar
totem vs tower
60% similar
totem vs towel
60% similar

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

Key facts for totem
PropertyValue
Headwordtotem
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtoʊtəm/
Letters5
Frequency rank#25,952
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “totem”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).totemlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “tourney” (#25,953), “tonal” (#25,950), “Tran” (#25,954). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “totem” is #25,952. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around totem (IPA /ˈtoʊtəm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #25,952 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for totem, with forms such as "ottem", "toetm", and "totemm". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Toth", "tower", "towel", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ojibwe (o)doodem(an). The correct English form is totem, spelled T-O-T-E-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any natural object or living creature that serves as an emblem of a tribe, clan or family; the representation of such an object or creature.
  2. 2
    The clan whose kinship is defined in reference to such an object or creature.
  3. 3
    A symbol or personification.
  4. 4
    An arbitrarily chosen object serving as a reminder to check whether one is awake or not, to aid in having lucid dreams.
  5. 5
    A tall object resembling a totem pole.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how totem appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The totem members were forbidden to eat the flesh of the totem animal, or were allowed to do so only under specific conditions.
  2. These meanings flow from bear-like characteristics imprinted on totem members. Members of the bear clan may have dispositional, cognitive, and physical capabilities similar to those of bear.

Etymology

From Ojibwe (o)doodem(an).

This word in other languages

tótem(Español)totem(Français)Totem(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ottem
  • toetm
  • totemm
  • totme
  • tottem
  • ttoem
  • ttotem

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of totem - 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.

ottem2toetm2totemm1totme2tottem1ttoem2ttotem1
Edit distance from "totem"

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 "totem"?
"totem" is spelled T-O-T-E-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtoʊtəm/.
What does "totem" mean?
As a noun, "totem" means: Any natural object or living creature that serves as an emblem of a tribe, clan or family; the representation of such an object or creature.
What words are commonly confused with "totem"?
"totem" is commonly confused with "Toth", "tower", "towel". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "totem"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "totem" is /ˈtoʊtəm/. 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 "totem"?
From Ojibwe (o)doodem(an). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "totem", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

tonal#25,950UConn#25,959Savoy#25,918acorn#25,989

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

toggle7 variantsTennant7 variantsaloft7 variantsremit7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list