ESEN
Which one to use?Beginnerprepositionadverb
TovsToo
'To' is the preposition of direction or the infinitive marker; 'too' means also or excessively.
Side-by-side comparison
To
preposition"To" (one 'o') is the preposition of direction or the infinitive marker. "Go to the store" = travel to that location. "I want to help" = I desire to help. One of the most used words in English.
She walked to the office every morning that summer.
We need to finish the presentation before noon.
The flight from Madrid to New York takes nine hours.
Too
adverb"Too" (two 'o's) means "also" or "excessively". "I want to come too" = I also want to come. "It's too cold" = it is excessively cold. Always an adverb.
The contract is too long and complex to sign without a lawyer.
I want to attend the conference too, can you add me?
The report arrived too late to make a difference.
Common mistake
- •"I want to come to" at the end of a sentence when meaning "also" (correct: too).
- •And "It is to expensive" when meaning excessively expensive (correct: too expensive).
- •These are among the most common typos in English.
Trick to remember it
- •"Too" has an extra O, that extra letter signals excess or addition.
- •Too much (excess), me too (addition).
- •When you mean direction or the infinitive, one O is enough.
Quick rule
Does it mean "also" or "excessively"? "Too." Is it the direction preposition or the infinitive marker? "To."
Did you know?
The trio TO / TOO / TWO is the most frequently confused set of homophones in written English, all sound exactly alike: /tuː/. TWO comes from Old English "twa" (two). TO comes from Old English "to" (direction, purpose). TOO is actually the same word as TO but with an added O: scribes in the 16th century began deliberately doubling the O in "too" to distinguish it visually from "to" in handwritten documents. Before that convention, context was the only guide, which caused considerable confusion in legal documents and contracts.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
This soup is _____ hot to eat right now. Wait a few minutes.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She decided _____ walk home instead of taking the bus.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
AcceptvsExcept
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
AdvicevsAdvise
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
AffectvsEffect
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
AislevsIsle
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy