Quick definition · 2 min AI term
Token
A token is a small chunk of text an AI reads at once, usually a short word or a piece of one.
Think of it like
Think of tokens as an AI’s syllables. “cat” is one token; “unbelievable” gets split into a few.
Example
The request “Write me a poem” is about 4 tokens. AI tools count tokens, not words, to measure length, cost, and limits.
Why it matters
Almost everything about a model, its price, its memory, its limits, is measured in tokens. Once you know the word, a lot stops feeling mysterious.
Where you’ll see it
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