Two, too, to?

Question

If you were asked to write the sentence: 'There are three ways to spell the word to/two/too', how would you do it, other than the way shown here, and by only using one spelling?

Which spelling do you use in the sentence itself?

Answer 1

Technically, "to", "too", and "two" are three different words, so I would rewrite the sentence: There are three homophones that are spelled "to", "too", and "two".

These are NOT one word spelled three ways. An example of a word spelled two different ways is "travelling/traveling".

Answer 2

There is only one way to spell the words "to" or "too" or "two", however the three words mentioned are pronounced the same way. So, the question you are asking, is not valid when you state there are three ways to spell the same word. As when stated, you must clarify the word asked.

The word "Ate" and the word "Eight" sound the same and if I was to ask you (verbally) to spell either word without clarification, you stand a 50/50 chance of spelling it wrong (if you knew how to spell either word correctly). So, this question, is basically, invalid.

This can be said with all Homonyms (that are spelled differently).

Crazy Diamond: The "word" "Two" is a "Noun" . . . Name of a number. (Number "2")

scoobisue: The "Stenographer" would write everything that this person wrote above and would have placed the three words he used "to,too,two" in whatever order she "assumed" he stated it. However, she would not have been able to write just "to, to, to" as those three words were spelled the same. Get it? Now, if you were to ask "how many different ways can you spell the word "to" (and you can pick any of the three) and it's Homonyms" or make a statement "there are three Homonyms that are pronounced "to" (again pick any of the three Homonyms) but spelled differently". Then it would make sense.

If English is ever made the official language of the USA, it looks like we may have a problem here. (and I am a Latino)!

Answer 3

There are three ways to spell the word to/2/too

Answer 4

In response to one of the other answers, yes, it is three words with three different meanings, but the question remains, if asked to, how would you write it? Suppose a witness said it in court, the stenographer is obliged to record, verbatim, the words spoken whether grammatically correct or not. My guess is that you would have to use the phonetic spelling i.e. TO

Answer 5

You can't use just one spelling because these are three words with three different meanings, not simply one word.

You would be better served tp say, "There are three words with the same pronunciation: to, too, and two."

(Not three ways to spell one word, because it's actually three different words with the same pronunciation!)

Answer 6

To make up a sentence, I might have to use the word "too" in two different ways, as it has the meaning of impossibly, as in "too difficult" and it has the meaning of "in addition" too.

Answer 7

The phonetics of the word "to" could be spelled in three ways.

Answer 8

Maybe the following could be used instead: 'Here are three words often wrongly used within a sentence: to, two and too.'
A correct example could be: 'Two brothers went to market and their dog went too.'

Answer 9

there are three ways to spell the word two

Answer 10

Can't do it since all three words have entirely different meanings.