Difference Between To and Too

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The words ‘to’ and ‘too’ are homonyms, that have similar pronunciation but differ in their meanings, spelling and origin. While the word to is used in sentences to denote direction. On the other hand, the word too is used to indicate something of high degree, also or very. Now let’s take a look at the examples to understand how they differ:

I am too late, to attend the function.
Joe went to the coaching class too, to find her sister.
She is too confident, that she will be able to clear Civil Services Examination this time.

In the first sentence, too is used to express ‘very’, while to indicates direction. In the next sentence, to has been used to refer ‘place’, while too is used as ‘also’. Lastly, too is used to refer to ‘highly’, whereas to is used to indicate ‘goal’.

Comparison Chart

Basis for Comparison	To	Too
Meaning	‘To’ is used in sentences to indicate motion in a specific direction.	‘Too’ refers to a greater extent, than what is required.
Pronunciation	tuː	tuː
Part of speech	Preposition	Adverb
Followed by	Verb or noun	Adjective or adverb
Example	I have to wake up early in the morning.	This is too old fashioned.
	Last Saturday, we have been to Mumbai.	She is not only beautiful, but intelligent too.
	Could you please mail the documents to me?	Before returning from Jaipur, they visited Nahargarh fort and Jaigarh fort too.

Definition of To

The function word ‘to’ is a preposition which means ‘in the direction of’. It is commonly applied in sentences to express a purpose, show direction towards a particular point or location, i.e. destination. It can be used in sentences in the following ways:

To indicate direction.
- We went to Agra, last month.
- I have some work to do.
To highlight the recipient of something or the one who experiences something.
- Siddharth told that to Priya and she giggled.
- Don’t be so embarrassed, it can happen to anyone.
To denote a specific time or level reached:
- Train accident toll has risen to 10.
To represent with regard to:
- They were really nice to me.
Prior to a verb, to represent that it is an infinitive:
- She likes to play badminton.
To show a relationship with the people or possessions:
- Her brother is married to his best friend.
- That green book on the table belongs to me.
To show agreement or want:
- Arun wants to go home.
- I’d love to come there.
With reported orders and requests:
- Ananya told me to return the book to Daniel.
Used after question words:
- Can you tell me what to do next?
To introduce a clause:
- To meet her mom, she went all the way to London.
To express a cause:
- We are sorry to inform you that, your project is not selected.

Definition of Too

‘Too’ is an adverb which means overly or excessively. It is used when one wants to express something of high degree or intensity than needed or wanted. Let’s understand the use of too, with the help of points given below:

To express more than what is required, wanted or enough:
- The dress is too short.
- He is too boring.
- Your hairs are too oily.
To denote also, as well or in addition to:
- I don’t like people who talk unnecessarily and that too very loudly.
- Don’t forget to bring the clothes and perfume too.
As a replacement to very:
- The numerical is too difficult.
- She is too innocent.

Key Differences Between To and Too

The difference between to and too can be drawn clearly on the following grounds:

‘To’ implies ‘directed towards’, which can be used in sentences for indicating motion in a specific direction. Conversely, ‘Too’ means high in degree or quantity, than required or desired.
While ‘to’ is a preposition which is used to show the relation between the subject with the element in the clause. As against, ‘too’ is an adverb, that is applied in sentences to modify the meaning of verb or adjective and express a degree of something.
The word ‘to’ is often followed by a noun and a verb. As against, too is used before an adjective or an adverb.

Examples

I don’t want to join the class.
He gifted the pen to Monica.
Sonia works from 8 AM to 9 PM.

Too

Kriti is too busy.
She had too many cookies in the evening.
You can join us too.

How to remember the difference

The best way to remember the difference between to and too is that while to has only one ‘o’ too has more than one ‘o’, i.e. many ‘o’s’. So, you can use too wherever you want to indicate more than enough, in excess, also, very etc., otherwise, you can use to.