To Big or Too Big? Grammar Explained (Helpful Examples)

You’ll often find people mistaking the use of “to” and “too” in English. It’s so common that even native speakers can slip up with them sometimes. This article will explain how “too big” works and why you should avoid using “to big.”

Is It To Big or Too Big?

“Too big” is the only correct form you can use. It’s correct because “too” is an emphasizing adverb that allows you to establish a more powerful meaning for an adjective (“big,” in this case). “To big” is incorrect because “to” does not emphasize the meaning. It is merely a preposition.

Here are two quick examples that’ll show you where all the differences matter:

• Correct: It was way too big! He must have been crazy to think it would have worked.
• Incorrect: You made this a bit to big. Next time, you’ll know what to work on.

“Too” is the adverbial form. Adverbs can modify adjectives, which is why it is correct to use them before the adjective “big.” It shows that something is much bigger than it needs to be.

“To” is a preposition. It is not correct to place a preposition before an adjective like “big” and expect it to change the meaning.

To Big

You should not use “to big.” “To” is a preposition rather than an adverb, so it does not modify the adjective “big” in the same way that “too” does. It’s best to avoid using this form to show that you understand the correct spelling variation.

• Correct: Um, isn’t that a bit too big? I thought we were only going to make it at a fraction of that size!
• Incorrect: He’s to big to fit through the door. We’re going to have to make the frames bigger to accommodate him.
• Correct: No way! It’s too big! It’s not going to fit in there, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try.
• Incorrect: It’s clearly to big! I don’t know if they were planning on making it like that, but it’s definitely an oversight.
• Correct: That phone is too big! I don’t want it in my pocket because it will just weigh me down!
• Incorrect: I think it’s a bit to big. Is there any way that you can make it smaller for me?

Too Big

“Too big” is the only correct form. It works because “too” is an adverb that allows us to extend the meaning of an adjective to show it at a greater level. “Big” becomes “bigger than what can be handled” when the word “too” is applied before it.

You can only spell “too” in this way. It’s not acceptable to use “to” and “too” interchangeably, so make sure you avoid doing that.

1. That is way too big! There’s no way you’re going to be able to fit it into that room without help.
2. I’m sorry, but that’s just too big! Don’t be ridiculous! You’ll have to find another place to put it.
3. You’re too big to be good enough at this sport. I’m sorry, but you’re going to need to lose some of that excess!
4. Am I too big of a name to be treated fairly? Just because I’m famous doesn’t mean that I’m not a human being.
5. Your ego is way too big! You’ve got to bring it down a notch or two because we’re simply not interested in talking to you.

Why Do People Tend To Spell It Wrong?

You’ll find that most people get these spellings confused because of how similar they sound. “To” and “too” are almost identical when they are said aloud, so it’s understandable why so many people end up writing them incorrectly.

How To Remember If The Correct Spelling Is “To Big” or “Too Big”

It’s time to go through a quick tip that might help you to understand how to get it right next time:

“Too big” is the only correct form. “Too” has an extra “O” in it (compared to “to”), and its meaning refers to something that happens to a greater extent than the adjective. You should always remember that “too” has an extra “O” when it’s emphasizing the extent of an adjective.

Final Thoughts

Only “too big” makes grammatical sense when you are emphasizing the meaning of “big.” You should not use “to big” because it does not allow you to emphasize the meaning of the adjective. “To” is only correct as a preposition, which is uncommon before an adjective.

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