toward

/təˈwɔːd/

//təˈwɔːd// prep

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

"toward" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“toward” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,970 in English word frequency and used as a preposition.

#1,970
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In the direction of.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

toward vs tower
67% similar
toward vs towed
67% similar
toward vs towers
67% similar

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

Key facts for toward
PropertyValue
Headwordtoward
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPreposition
IPA/təˈwɔːd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,970
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “toward” 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). toward 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 toward is 6 letters long, classified as a preposition, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /təˈwɔːd/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,970 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for toward, with forms such as "otward", "toawrd", and "towadr". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "tower", "towed", "towers", 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 toward, from Old English tōweard, from Proto-West Germanic *tōward, equivalent to to + -ward. Cognate with Middle Low German tôwart, Middle Dutch toewaert (Modern Dutch toewaarts), Middle High German zuowart, zūwart (Modern German zuwärt… The correct English form is toward, spelled T-O-W-A-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    In the direction of.
  2. 2
    In relation to (someone or something).
  3. 3
    For the purpose of attaining (an aim).
  4. 4
    Located close to; near (a time or place).

Etymology

From Middle English toward, from Old English tōweard, from Proto-West Germanic *tōward, equivalent to to + -ward. Cognate with Middle Low German tôwart, Middle Dutch toewaert (Modern Dutch toewaarts), Middle High German zuowart, zūwart (Modern German zuwärts). Compare also Middle English tilward, tillward (“toward”).

Antonyms

away fromfrowardfromward

This word in other languages

hacia(Español)vers(Français)zu(Deutsch)a(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: otward,toawrd,towadr,towardd,towarrd,towrad,towward,ttoward,twoard

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

otward2toawrd2towadr2towardd1towarrd1towrad2towward1ttoward1
Edit distance from "toward"

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 "toward"?
"toward" is spelled T-O-W-A-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /təˈwɔːd/.
What does "toward" mean?
As a preposition, "toward" means: In the direction of.
What words are commonly confused with "toward"?
"toward" is commonly confused with "tower", "towed", "towers". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "toward"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "toward" is /təˈwɔːd/. 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 "toward"?
From Middle English toward, from Old English tōweard, from Proto-West Germanic *tōward, equivalent to to + -ward. Cognate with Middle Low German tôwart, Middle Dutch toewaert (Modern Dutch toewaarts), Middle High German zuowart, zūwart (Modern Ger... 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 “toward”

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

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