To Late or Too Late? Simple English

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Knowing whether to write “To late” or “too late” can be tricky as the phrases appear to have similar pronunciations.

The fact is that people who write “to late” really mean to say “too late.” “To late” is always grammatically incorrect.

Incorrect: It was to late to go to the cinema.

Correct: It was too late to go to the cinema.

“Too” Meaning

“Too” has several meanings.

“Too” Means Excessively

“Too” usually means exceeding a certain number or amount.

For example:

• She ate too much candy.
• The chicken is too spicy.
• The dog is too vicious.
• The home is too small for us.

Too Means “Also”

Too can be used to mean “also” or another way.

For example:

• Sheila likes chicken. I like chicken too.
• Mary is coming to the party. Patrick is coming to the party too.
• He saw something flying in the sky, and she did too.

“To” Example Sentences

“To” has a wide variety of uses. See: “Too vs To: What’s The Difference.”

“To” can be added to infinitive verbs, the basic form of verbs, written as “to”+ verb.

For example:

• Please put the chicken in the oven to bake it.
• Mom is going to buy me some new shoes to wear with this dress.
• We are driving north to meet my parents for dinner.

However, late can act as either an adjective or adverb, not a verb; therefore, we can’t write “to” before it.

Late Meaning

Late means happening after a certain time. For instance, if your class was supposed to start at 2 pm but starts at 2:15 pm instead, we can say that the class started late.

Examples of “Late” in a Sentence

• We arrived late for the performance and missed the first song.
• The plane was 20 minutes late.
• He booked a late appointment with the doctor.

What Does “Too Late” mean?

“Too late” means that something happened after a time when it should have happened. We add “too” to show how late something is. It may mean that the event is over or the main part of the event is over.

For example, if you arrive at 9 PM for the 7 PM film screening. Because you’re late for the screening, it is now too late to go to watch the film.

Examples of Sentences with “Too Late”

• It is too late to read a book.
• It is too late to eat a sandwich.
• It’s really too late to call them now; it’s 1:30 AM!
• It’s too late to stop climate change.
• I couldn’t go to the cinema because I was too late.
• It’s too late for you to buy milk; all shops are closed now.
• It’s too late to get the milk at the supermarket; it closes in 10 minutes.
• It’s too late to apply to the university; all places have been taken.
• The train arrived too late, so I missed my cooking class.
• I arrived too late at the hairdresser so they wouldn’t cut my hair.
• 1 am is too late to go to bed.
• My father arrived too late for work and got in trouble with the boss.
• It was too late to take the bus, so we had to walk home.

Is It Ever Correct To Write “To Late?”

It is never correct to write “to late,” and it is a spelling mistake.

Some people get confused between “to” and “too.” The “too” is added for emphasis, just like “too short,” “too sugary,” and “too old.

This might be confusing because when speaking, it’s hard to tell the difference between pronouncing “to” and “too.”

People might avoid the extra “o” in “too” because they don’t know how to use it properly when writing.

Is “To” and “Too” Pronounced Differently?

When pronouncing “too” as “to,” we sometimes put an added emphasis on the oo vowel. Some people stress it a little more. However, it still can be quite hard to distinguish the difference.

In Conclusion

It is always correct to write “too late,” not “to late.” To write “to late” is technically grammatically incorrect.

By understanding the differences between “to” and “too,” you can write them effectively in sentences.

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