途|とto[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nounway; route

• Synonym道みちNeutralThe everyday word for a road or path, and by far the most common. 「途」 is rarely used alone; it appears mostly in compounds like 「帰途」 and 「前途」.
• Synonym経路けいろNeutralA route or channel something travels through, as in 「感染経路」; stresses the path taken and leans formal.
• Synonym道筋みちすじNeutralA route; also the sense and order of a matter — the logic behind how it unfolds.
• Synonym通り道とおりみちNeutralA road one passes along or through, as in 「風の通り道」 or 「通り道にある店」.
• Synonym道順みちじゅんNeutralThe route to take to reach a place; the usual word when asking or giving directions; colloquial.
• SynonymルートNeutralLoanword for a route or channel, as in 「販売ルート」.
• Synonym進路しんろNeutralThe direction of forward movement; also one's course after graduation, such as school or career plans.
• SynonymコースNeutralLoanword with broad uses: routes, courses of study, tracks and lanes.
• Synonym路ちNeutralSame word, read 「みち」; it also covers methods, means and one's path through life. 「途」 leans written and appears mostly in idioms.
• Related通路つうろNeutralA passage or aisle; stresses the space people can pass through, as in 「通路側」 for an aisle seat on a plane.
• Related道路どうろNeutralA road or highway in the concrete, physical sense; somewhat formal, as in 「道路工事」.
• Related道のりみちのりNeutralThe distance to travel, and figuratively the process of working toward a goal.
• Related旅程りょていNeutralA travel itinerary: the schedule and arrangements of a trip, not the road itself.
• RelatedロードNeutralLoanword for road, mostly in names like 「ロードバイク」; seldom used on its own.
• Related路線ろせんNeutralA transport line for buses, trains and the like; also the policy line an organization takes.
• Related軌道きどうNeutralAn orbit or rail track; figuratively the right track, as in 「軌道に乗る」.
• Related街道かいどうNeutralA trunk road linking cities or post towns, like the historic 「東海道」; also in names of modern highways.
• Related街路がいろWrittenWritten-leaning word for city streets, as in 「街路樹」; refers to actual streets in town.
• Related針路しんろWrittenWritten: the course a ship or plane steers, also a figurative direction to follow. 「進路」 is the general word for one's heading and destination.
• Related旅路たびじWrittenA literary word for the journey itself, common in poems and song lyrics; more lyrical than 「旅程」.
• Related行路こうろWrittenWritten register: the road one travels, or one's path in life. 「途」 shows up more in fixed phrases.

「途」 is not a word you use on its own: it appears mainly in compounds and set phrases such as 「帰国の途につく」 and 「発展の途上」. In everyday speech say 「道」 for a road, 「ルート」 or 「経路」 for a route, and 「進路」 for where someone is headed. The rest are more specific: 「道順」 for directions, 「通路」 for aisles, 「道路」 for built roads, 「旅程」 for trip schedules, and so on.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. （ト、みち）道みち。道筋みちすじ。