to vs too

What is the difference?

to
definition: expressing motion in the direction of (a particular location)
Examples:
  1. walking down to the shops
  2. my first visit to Africa
  3. we're going to a party
Synonyms:
No synonyms available
too
definition: to a higher degree than is desirable, permissible, or possible; excessively
Examples:
  1. he was driving too fast
  2. he wore suits that seemed a size too small for him
Synonyms:
excessively, overly, over, unduly, immoderately, inordinately, unreasonably, ridiculously, to too great an extent/degree, extremely, very

to vs too

To and too are some of the most commonly confused words in English; in fact, grammar purists are driven mad by people using these two words incorrectly, but still, they remain two of the most commonly confusing words of our time and not just on social media.

Stop too and to from being misused with our quick guide.

Too vs. To & Two

The question of the difference between totoo, and two is an age-old one. These three short words might sound the same because they're pronunciation homophones, but they really aren't at all!

1. to

preposition, adverb

To has a few different uses. It is a prepositional phrase to indicate movement, goals, directions, relationships between things, and locations.

English speakers use to when indicating the direction of movement or arrival place. Say you want to mention that you're going out to hang with your friends; you could say...

  • I'm going to the cinema to meet my friends.

To is also used to relate ideas, possessions, and attachments. Similarly, it can also be used to indicate timeframes.

to

Keep in mind!

To has many uses, and for a 2-letter word, it really is multi-purpose!

Examples for to

She is going to the office today.

Danny wants to go to the park after school.

Does this baggage belong to you?

I am attracted to you.

From 1995 to 2002 a lot of things changed globally. (You can also use a hyphen instead of to in this example.)

It's gonna take me an extra fifteen minutes to finish this task.

2. too

adverb

Too is an adverbial phrase that English speakers use to replace "as well" or "excessively." It's a hugely useful 3-letter word used to emphasize a point or indicate the excessiveness of something. For example, if you find learning languages tough; you could say...

  • Learning languages is too hard!

Too is a fantastic word if you want to hyperbolize or exaggerate your language to make it sound more dramatic.

too

What about two?

It's also important to remember two is a number; it is 1 + 1, and it can't be used to replace too or to as it doesn't have any grammatical function in a sentence.

Examples for too

Sally, you are way too funny; I can't stop laughing!

Do you think you drive too fast?

He, too, decided to write about Childhood Education.

This work is way too hard.

You are too quick for me!

I want to come too.

Takeaways - Tips

Quick tips to further your knowledge

To

Remember that most of the time to is a prepositional phrase indicating movement, goals, or directions.

Too

Too, however, is an adverbial phrase in replace of “excessively, as well, or in addition.” English speakers use it to emphasize a point.

Bottom Line

Don't worry about making these common mistakes. You're unlikely to have any problems in everyday speech with these three words, but with practice, you will also learn how to use them in your writing correctly.

FAQs

When to use to?

When to use too?

How to remember to vs. too?

Commonly Confusing Words

Spell checkers don't always have you covered. Sometimes your word might be spelled correctly, but it could be the wrong word. In English, there are lots of confusing terms that look alike but are spelled differently, and many terms that mean the same thing but are easily misused.

Here are the most commonly confusing word pairings, with definitions and examples of their usage.

Check it out!
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