# two

> English word · Numeral · IPA /tu/ · frequency rank #86

## Definitions
1. A numerical value equal to 2; this many dots (••).
2. Describing a set or group with two elements.

## Etymology
PIE word
 *dwóh₁
From Middle English two, twa, from Old English twā, feminine and neuter of twēġen (whence twain), from Proto-West Germanic *twai-, from Proto-Germanic *twai, from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁.
Cognates
Cognate with Scots twa (“two”); North Frisian tou, tuu (“two”); Saterland Frisian twäin, two (“two”); West Frisian twa (“two”); Dutch twee (“two”); Low German twee, twei (“two”); German zwei, zwo (“two”); Danish and Norwegian to (“two”); Swedish två, tu (“two”); Icelandic tvö (“two”); Faroese tvey (“two”); Latin duō (“two”); Ancient Greek δύο (dúo, “two”); Irish dhá (“two”); Lithuanian dù (“two”); Russian два (dva, “two”); Albanian dy (“two”); Old Armenian երկու (erku, “two”); Sanskrit द्व (dvá, “two”); Tocharian A wu, Tocharian B wi. Doublet of duo. See also twain.
Unrelated to similar words in Austronesian languages such as Malagasy roa; Tagalog and Cebuano dalawa; West Coast Bajau and Minangkabau duo; Buginese ᨉᨘᨓ (dua); Indonesian, Malay, Iban, Iranun, Ilocano, and Sundanese dua; Fijian, Māori, Rapa Nui, and Rotuman rua; Tongan and Niuean ua; Wallisian, Samoan, and Hawaiian lua; and South Marquesan 'ua; which originated from Proto-Austronesian *duSa.

## Easily confused with
- **TX** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/two-vs-tx)
- **Ty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/two-vs-ty)
- **tye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/two-vs-tye)
- **twp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/two-vs-twp)
- **Tyr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/two-vs-tyr)
- **typo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/two-vs-typo)
- **twos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/two-vs-twos)
- **t** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/t-vs-two)
- **to** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/to-vs-two)
- **TV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tv-vs-two)
- **te** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/te-vs-two)
- **TA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ta-vs-two)
- **TL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tl-vs-two)
- **TD** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/td-vs-two)
- **ti** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ti-vs-two)
- **Tu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tu-vs-two)
- **TB** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tb-vs-two)
- **TN** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tn-vs-two)
- **TS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ts-vs-two)
- **TM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tm-vs-two)

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