Difference Between To vs. Too

Main Difference

These two ‘Homophones’ of English grammar may cause confusion, especially for new learners. However, in order to get the accurate and exact meaning and the usage of both these words, we need to understand what they are and what work they do. First of all, ‘To’ is a preposition, referring to something and normally comes in the middle of a sentence or phrase. For example, ‘I give my book to my classmate’. ‘My book is lying to the right side of the bed’. Its second usage is called in English grammatical term as ‘Infinitive’ where ‘To’ is followed by First Form of Verb (To+1st Form of Verb). For example, ‘I want to study science’, ‘Children like to play football’ etc. On the other hand, ‘Too’, though pronounced with almost the same pitch and sound omitting, has meaning entirely different from that of ‘To’. First of all, ‘Too’ is not a preposition, rather it is considered as an ‘Adverb’, qualifying for a Verb, Adjective, or another Adverb. The usage of ‘Too’ can be replaced with the word ‘Also’ to make the sentence more accurate and authentic, especially while speaking. For example, ‘I would like to eat fish too.’ Sometimes ‘Too’ is used to indicate excessiveness of something. e.g. ‘It is too hot today’, ‘The luggage is too bulky’. The Adverb Too can be used to make a statement negative without using of ‘No’ or ‘Not’. For example, ‘The weather was too nice for me’, ‘This student is too hardworking’. In both these sentences, the meaning is otherwise from what it seems as in the first example the weather is very nice but I can’t bear it; similarly, in the second sentence, the student is not working hard at all.

Comparison Chart

Definition of To

To is a preposition used in English Grammar to indicate something. It usually means ‘towards’. For example, ‘I handed over the letter to the old lady’, ‘She is travelling to America’. Besides as a preposition, To is also used as Infinitive where it is accompanied by First Form of Verb. For example, ‘I work to earn’, ‘I know how to make a speech’, ‘She wants to become a doctor’. One thing must be kept in mind while using the preposition ‘To’. This preposition never accepts Second or Third Form of Verbs after it.

Definition of Too

Unlike ‘To’ which is preposition, ‘Too’ is an Adverb and it has nothing to do with the prepositional use as Adverb always qualifies for a Verb, Adjective and another Adverb. We normally use this Adverb when to use ‘Also’ as ‘too’ replaces ‘Also’. For example, ‘He needs a bag too’. However, this Adverb is also used to explain negative aspect of something without the use of ‘No’ or ‘Not’ in the sentence. For example, ‘Working environment in some organizations is too professional’. In this sentence, ‘Too’ suggests that the environment is beyond professionalism to the extent that it irritates the employees.

Differences in a Nutshell

1. ‘To’ is a preposition in English Grammar; ‘Too’ is an Adverb
2. As a preposition, ‘To’ is used to refer to something; ‘Too’ adds more information about how something is done
3. As an infinitive, ‘To’ accepts First Form of Verb; ‘Too’ defines a Verb
4. ‘To’ is used in both Positive and Negative sentences; ‘Too’ can be used in a statement to make it Negative without the adding of ‘No’ or ‘Not’