How consistently and accurately do you (personally) distinguish between "to" and "too" in your writing?

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CoppertoothBloodworm@reddit

I always distinguish between the two.

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Grilled_Cheese10@reddit

This retired school teacher feels like such a failure when I see it.

There, their, they're.

Are, Our.

Your, you're.

Should've, could've, would've.

A lot.

Loose, lose.

And more.

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Genevass@reddit

I remember a line of dialog from the movie Henry fool explaining one of these: There are the donuts. Those are their donuts. They’re the donut people.

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InternistNotAnIntern@reddit

I'm a doc

Prostate/prostrate

Discrete/discreet

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jwismar@reddit

flout vs flaunt

and for the love of all that's holy, lay/laid/laid/laying vs lie/lay/lain/lying

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HangryIntrovert@reddit

Wary, weary

Founder, flounder

Affect, effect

Mute, moot

Rein, reign

Hoard, horde

...there are so many.

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HangryIntrovert@reddit

That one sucks but I double-check using the mnemonic "A-Very-Easy-Noun" which I got from Grammar Girl a million years ago.

A Very
Easy Noun

Affect Verb
Effect Noun

Except in atypical uses, like to effect change.

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randypupjake@reddit

Although different affects on words can be effective to make a phrase affected by their effects.

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christinamarie76@reddit

Thank you for that! I’m totally going to forget about this, but I do sincerely appreciate the tip!

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Canada_Haunts_Me@reddit

Silicon, silicone

Heroin, heroine

Breath, breathe

Cloths, clothes

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Always. They have entirely different meanings.

To=direction (I am going to➡️ my house) Too= also or more than enough (I would like some cake too! I ate too much cake.)

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PaleMeet9040@reddit

Almost never😁

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Do_unto_udders@reddit

I always do. Seeing it misused drives me nuts. That includes the spelling of the number 2--"two." I've seen people throwing that around lately to.

\^ See how wrong that looks? To what?

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Apprehensive-Read989@reddit

To and too never give me issues, same with their, there, and they're. What always kills me is effect and affect, even when I look up the definitions I normally can't figure out which is correct.

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thekittennapper@reddit

They’re entirely separate words, so 100% of the time.

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ProfessorrFate@reddit

Same - 100%. I also have zero problem w the difference your/you’re

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microcozmchris@reddit

I understand them completely. And I cringe when they're wrong.

And then autocorrect throws it's opinion in the mix and I let people no that if there late then their not riding with me when we go they're.

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PPKA2757@reddit

It stands out almost immediately when you’re reading a sentence and “to/too” is used incorrectly.

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TheyMakeMeWearPants@reddit

They should go back two school for at least too more years

Every. Single. Time.

Like if I’m saying “I want to come too!” It reads completely different if I switch them up.

BubbhaJebus@reddit

Another vote for 100%. I learned the difference between these two (look, there's another homophone!) words as a kid, and seeing people confuse them makes me bemoan the state of our education system.

If I ever get them wrong, it's a typo or an erroneous autocorrect.

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Mercuryshottoo@reddit

Too means also or additionally

I learned by remembering that there is an additional 'o' in too

D__sub@reddit

always

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Space_Case_Stace@reddit

Always.

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jack-jackattack@reddit

Formally writing or typing, fairly consistently. Swyping while only halfway paying attention, or voice to texting, maybe 75/25. Screw it, if someone wanted grammatically accurate responses, they should've sent emails.

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CharlesFXD@reddit

Officially replace to, too and two with tou and rely on context.

It irritates the shit out of me seeing the wrong use of some words. I rarely comment on it, but seeing to, too, and two mixed up by people, especially as often as it happens, physically makes me cringe.

Seeing there, their, and they're used wrong does the exact same thing. I get that for non English speakers, it's not a guarantee that it'll be right. That's why I don't comment on it. It doesn't make it any less annoying.

So to answer your question about how consistently and accurately I distinguish between the examples you gave, the answer is always. Every time I make sure it's right. If I do mess it up, usually due to auto correct, me being drunk, or too tired to get it right, I'll always go back and edit it at the first opportunity.

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Wishing-I-Was-A-Cat@reddit

Almost always. I think I'm slightly more likely to mix up "their", "there", and "they're" and "your" and "you're" but I don't do that often either. If I do, I often catch it and fix it.

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OkTaurus510@reddit

As a teacher, I expect them to be used correctly.

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Champsterdam@reddit

100% of the time. This isn’t something to question. They are entirely different words.

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The_Dok33@reddit

Not at all, you guys will correct me on it anyway.

As a non-native speaker, it's hard enough to just be typing English on my phone as is.

I figure I try to make no mistakes, but will make them anyway. As long as you understand me, I'm good.

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tewmtoo@reddit

Too use them improperly is a bridge two far. It drives me crazy to.

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essssgeeee@reddit

Always. Voice dictation sometimes does it wrong, but I correct it of I see it.

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GroundThing@reddit

The only one in that vein that's not 100% (I would say still probably like 95%+, but occasionally I'm careless) is "its" and "it's", because the 's' in "its" feels more to me like the 's' in "Peter's" than the 's' in "his".

DebutsPal@reddit

On something like Reddit? Not consistently. In formal things? Pretty well.

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oohrosie@reddit

Always. They mean different things, and not using the correct one is just lazy.

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NittanyOrange@reddit

That's an easy one for me. I get that correct every time.

Affect/effect is one where I get careless unless I'm a formal setting.

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AshDenver@reddit

ALL the time. EVERY time.

To / too / two
your / you’re / yore
there / their / they’re
allot / a lot (and there is no such word as “alot” FFS!)

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aweiss_sf@reddit

100% of the time. Also with “two.”

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Dr_Watson349@reddit

This is like asking

sgtm7@reddit

Some non-native English speakers will definitely have problems with it. Just like you would if learning a new language. Do you know whether a Spanish word should use the feminine or masculine? De/Le versus Da/La? How about "usted" versus "tu". It comes natural to a Spanish speaker.

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Unless everyone starts using it incorrectly, and that misuse is now commonly used and is now "correct". The suffix "phobia", means to fear. People started adding on to words to mean being prejudice/bigoted against the group preceding the suffix.
1st,2nd, and 3rd world, referred respectively, to the USA and those aligned with them, the USSR, and those aligned with them, and to nonaligned countries. Now when people say third world, they are referring to undeveloped or developing countries.

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SlayerKing_2002@reddit

While that is true, they have very different meanings and use cases. Similarly with you’re and your, or their, there and they’re. Just because they sound the same doesn’t mean they are commonly mixed up. Though there and their sometimes are but that’s because some people are dumb 🤷‍♂️

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sgtm7@reddit

It is not a case of being dumb, but not paying attention, writing too quickly, and not paying attention to detail.

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Original_Cable6719@reddit

If they are dumb (mute), that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to use words correctly when writing.

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ryancementhead@reddit

Weather/whether

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eunma2112@reddit

Similarly with you’re and your, or their, there and they’re. Just because they sound the same doesn’t mean they are commonly mixed up. Though there and their sometimes are but that’s because some people are dumb

There’s a difference between being dumb and uneducated. Lots of people who are naturally intelligent, but not well educated, make mistakes with homophones like these.

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Sufficient_Cod1948@reddit

They may looks confusing to someone who is just learning the language, but you're asking people who have been speaking English since they learned how to talk, and reading/writing English since they learned how to read and write. We've always known the difference and therefore don't find them confusing.

The reason you're getting the answers and downvotes that you are getting is that this is a common theme of questions in this sub. ie: "I'm learning about this part of American geography/history/lnaguage/culture and find this thing confusing, do Americans also find this confusing?"

The answer is always "No, we live here."

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Terradactyl87@reddit

Why do you think that? We have a lot of words that are pronounced the same but spelled differently and have different meanings. It's much more likely for people to misunderstand it verbally than written as the correct spelling indicates the correct meaning, not to mention the wrong word used is obvious because it won't make sense.

If someone wrote "I like too draw" or "I like drawing to" any native English speakers would immediately think those were both wrong because they don't make sense.

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East-Eye-8429@reddit

It's almost always a typo rather than getting them mixed up

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DeniseReades@reddit

this isn't a random pair of words. These two words are pronounced the same so they are more likely to be mixed up when written

That's not a unique situation. Words that are spelled differently but sound the same are called homphones and there are literally hundreds of them in English. Mileage does vary based on your accent but it's not uncommon and this is basically just like asking how often someone misspells words.

Here's a massive list of homophones That does go to a downloadable link. The not a "random pair of words" that you're looking for are on the bottom of page 7.

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NormanQuacks345@reddit

They have very different meanings and by using the rest of the sentence as context it should be impossible for anyone above a 6th grade reading level to confuse the two.

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todaysanoncct@reddit

Are you often confusing flour and flower?

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auntie_eggma@reddit

English has bucketloads of homophones that people nevertheless manage to distinguish with little effort if they actually pay the tiniest bit of attention. Barring dyslexia or a similar mitigating factor, it's really basic shit.

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Successful_Language6@reddit

Too is an adverb - think of it as a substitute for the word also or very.

‘Me too.’ (Me also) ‘It is too hot.’ (It is very hot)

Too (like its friend the number two) is limited in its use. Whereas to is a preposition and can be used to do a lot.

To can be used to indicate a goal, movement, direction, range, etc.

‘I want to be a doctor’ ‘I want to win a gold medal’

‘Can you move to your right?’ ‘Go to your room’ ‘Can you go to the store?’

To can also be used to give a time range.

‘I will pick you up in the next 5 to 10 minutes.’

To can also be used to show an attachment between words.

‘Give that to me’, ‘This dog belongs to me.’

If you aren’t sure if you use to or too just think of the sentence would still make sense if you used the word very or also instead. If it wouldn’t then use to, if it would then use too.

For example: ‘Can I go to the store with you?’

Does ‘Can I go also the store with you?’ Or ‘Can I go very the store with you?’ make sense? No.

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KrazySunshine@reddit

The word two is pronounced the same way and it’s exactly the same as using to and too correctly. This is taught in elementary schools

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therealjerseytom@reddit

These two words are pronounced the same so they are more likely to be mixed up when written.

Then why isn't "two" mixed up for them?

Aloh4mora@reddit

All of the time. They are very different to me, so I see them as completely separate words.

Just the way "2" and "3" are the same shape at the top, different only on the bottom -- but that makes them completely different from each other.

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seditious3@reddit

Always. I'm a lawyer, so all I have for tools are words.

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Frenchitwist@reddit

Always and always.

yellowslotcar@reddit

Always. It looks wrong otherwise.

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redrosebeetle@reddit

They have different meanings.

To is directional. Ie: I went to the store. This is a gift from me to you.

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SteveArnoldHorshak@reddit

Always always always. I think the misspellings/misuses that we see are more AutoCorrect error than human error.

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Graflex01867@reddit

I have to say that it would be too painful if I didn’t consistently differentiate between the two spellings.

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HegemonNYC@reddit

On Reddit, when someone uses /s at the end of their post, is means “this was sarcasm”.

Always.

All the time.

Also they’re/there/their. Also lose/loose. Also brake/break. Also it’s/its. Also bear/bare. Also quiet/quiet. Also ~~would of~~/would have. Also ~~’if I would have’~~/‘if I had’.

[character] went to [place]

and

[character] was too [thing]

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tracygee@reddit

Always.

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Very consistently. Autocorrect sometimes bites me in the ass on my phone.

In junior high, using the wrong to/two/too or there/their/they're would lose you a letter grade on the assignment. Didn't even matter what class - you could we writing a paper for Social Studies or Science and it'd still cost you.

Always? They are used for different things.

To is referring to a direction and too means in addition or an excess of something. You would not write go too the store and get milk and think it looks right.

I don’t rely on autocorrect when I write.

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Tricia-1959@reddit

Always. You know it's wrong when it looks wrong.

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jonasshoop@reddit

I mix up words like to/too and their/there quite often when making a quick comment. It's not that I don't know the difference. The problem is that when I write a comment or paragraph and then proofread immediately after writing I don't catch the error. The only way for me to catch it is to read or do something completely unrelated to the comment and then go back and proofread, then the error is blatantly obvious. It's embarrassing, especially when sending a professional email. Write the email, re-read 3 times, send. 2 hours later, the client responds and I immediately catch my very simple mistake.

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latelyimawake@reddit

100% of the time.

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Total-Ad5463@reddit

"Too" is for an excess like too many. Double o, it has more letters. That's how I remember :)

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shakebakelizard@reddit

Distinguish? What? “To” is a preposition and “too” is an adverb. They are different words with completely different meanings.

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Rich-Contribution-84@reddit

100% of the time. Otherwise your meaning changes.

Not to often do I make that mistake, too do that would be foolish.

FunProfessional570@reddit

Always. Same with their/there/they’re and your/you’re.

“Too” either means “also” or is used to signify that something is excessive:

-I want to come to the store too -Fixing the car is taking too long -You upset me by playing your music too loudly

I always do.

The swipe keyboard gets it right maybe 80% of the time.

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lupuscapabilis@reddit

Then there's the CONSISTENT misuse of there, their, and they're.

Well, I'd say all the time, but occasionally the wrong one will sneak through. So more like 99% of the time.

What really annoys me is people using loose and looser when they mean lose and loser.

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GOTaSMALL1@reddit

Grammar: The difference between “knowing your shit” and “knowing you’re shit”.

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_edd@reddit

100% of the time. Or at least I intend to.

I verbalize my sentences mentally when typing and will occasionally type a homophone instead. It feels silly that English is my native language, I have a good education and I still make these mistakes more often than I'd like.

tecmseh_52@reddit

To means in a direction TOWARD something. Too means 'also' or excessively. Two examples: I walked TO the store. The soup is TOO hot.

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tzeentchdusty@reddit

well they're different words and they mean different things, "to" is a locative preposition and "too" is an adverb meaning "also," so I guess as often as I use each word...? I might be getting hung up on your use of "distinguish" in the title, I'm not trying to be condescending😂 I learned Spanish and English concurrently, but I'm better at writing in English, in fact my spelling and diacretic marker use in Spanish is probably VERY poor for someone who can speak and read it fluently, so I do get what you're saying, but if English isn't your first language, I could see a word like this being a struggle.

I teach high schoolers and I would say that I have absolutely seen some people write in assignments "to much" (which would mean "as a result of...much" in most cases, like for example "There is major covil unrest in the United States right now, which owes to much confusion over federal overreach") when what they mean is "too much," (which means that the quantity of something is too great i.e. it's quantifiably more than necessary) which is I think what you're getting at. I don't have great insight as to why this is, but some factors here may be the fact that we no longer teach phonics in the US, and we also teach English in a very roundabout way, and I'm not sure that it's working anymore.

Sometimes when typing to/too/two something happens between my brain and my fingers and the wrong one ends up coming out. I almost always see it as soon as it happens and correct it. I’m sure there are some rushed emails, texts, or posts out there where in my hurry I missed it but those are probably rare.

Always, and I do so accurately.

But I’m also an English teacher. I don’t really point it out if I’m on Reddit or something, but it does bother me when someone doesn’t know the difference.

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JustATyson@reddit

Always, at about a 98% accuracy level. I struggled with Grammer and spelling as a kid, teen, and even as an adult. But, the homophones were one area that I got mostly down. Therefore, I try my best to never make a mistake between to/too/two. And the few times I do, I kick myself more for that screw up, than my numerous verb-tense screw up.

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Budget-Attorney@reddit

100% consistently, 90% accuracy

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Auro_NG@reddit

I'd say I do it about 60% of the time, every time.

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MamaMcAteer@reddit

All too often I go to correct someone's grammar only to realize I too have forgotten to use the correct form.

Always. I also think you can kind of hear the additional "o" in some peoples speech to make it more easy.

I can't stand when people use to/too improperly,. I think that people more often mistake there/their, more commonly.

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RNH213PDX@reddit

Setting aside the typo factor, this is a pretty basic and bad mistake. If I see a common grammar mistake like this in written communication, its a great signal to help me level-set. I obviously don't care if its in a personal communication (or on Reddit!) but if I see it in a business communication, it demonstrates both a lack of mastery of the English language and an inability to quality check their work.