# tkn (1-tkn.us)

People say 'token' when they mean a thing that stands in for something else. A subway token. A game piece. A password you type in to prove who you are. It is something small that lets you do something bigger.

## What a model may hear
- API access token (web services and authentication): Treat it as a secret string to put in headers, check for expiry, or rotate for security
- LLM token (language model internals): Count text in pieces, bill by the chunk, or truncate input to fit a context window
- cryptocurrency token (blockchain and smart contracts): Assume ERC-20 standards, wallet addresses, or tokenomics mechanics
- parsing token (compilers and formal languages): Break input into labeled lexical units for syntax analysis
- security token hardware (physical authentication devices): Expect RSA SecurID, YubiKey protocols, or OTP generation

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "I need more tokens"
  Means: I need more credits or passes for a service
  May be taken as: The model thinks you want context window expansion or API rate limit increases
  Say instead: "I need more credits on my account, not technical tokens"
- Says: "Give me a token"
  Means: Give me a simple placeholder or symbol
  May be taken as: The model generates a random hex string or JWT format it thinks you can use
  Say instead: "Give me a simple word or symbol to represent this idea"
- Says: "The token is broken"
  Means: My physical pass or game piece does not work
  May be taken as: The model debugs OAuth flows or blockchain contract errors
  Say instead: "My physical pass is damaged and will not scan"
- Says: "Save my tokens"
  Means: Keep my passes safe
  May be taken as: The model stores API secrets in plaintext or suggests insecure key management
  Say instead: "Keep my membership cards secure, not computer tokens"

## Tips
- Say 'word piece' or 'text chunk' if you mean how a model reads text, not 'token'
- Say 'password' or 'key' if you mean login credentials, not 'token'
- Say 'coin' or 'crypto' if you mean digital money, to separate from other senses
- Say 'placeholder' or 'symbol' if you want a stand-in word, not 'token'
- If you must say 'token', add the type: 'API token', 'game token', 'subway token'

## Often confused with
- key: More often means physical or cryptographic, less often a casual pass
- coin: Only money, never authentication or parsing
- credential: Always identity proof, never a game piece or text chunk
- nonce: One-time number, never reusable like most tokens
- ticket: More often event entry, less often technical except in Kerberos
- hash: Fixed output from data, not a pass you carry