Which to use
“tot” is an adjective and “tri” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #15,273
- “tot” frequency rank
- #7,011
- “tri” frequency rank
- 22284
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tot | tri |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Mort, qui ne vit plus. | Action de trier. |
Where the eye mixes tot and tri
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses tot with tri
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: tot is \toːt\ while tri is \tʁi\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22284, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tot is recorded at frequency rank #15,273, classified as anadj, pronounced \toːt\. tri is at rank #7,011, tagged as anoun, pronounced \tʁi\.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 22284, this pair ranks #358,820 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of tot vs tri
Shared letters: t. Private to "tot": o. Private to "tri": ir.
"tot" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "tri" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tot" and "tri" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "tot" or "tri"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "tot" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "tri" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #358,820 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tot" and "tri" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tif vs tot". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #358,820 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.