diff --git a/aider/coder.py b/aider/coder.py
index a5730d160..9c47b9f13 100755
--- a/aider/coder.py
+++ b/aider/coder.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class Coder:
 
         if self.repo:
             rel_repo_dir = os.path.relpath(self.repo.git_dir, os.getcwd())
-            self.io.tool("Using git repo:", rel_repo_dir)
+            self.io.tool_output("Using git repo:", rel_repo_dir)
         else:
             self.io.tool_error("No suitable git repo, will not automatically commit edits.")
             self.find_common_root()
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ class Coder:
         else:
             self.root = os.getcwd()
 
-        self.io.tool(f"Common root directory: {self.root}")
+        self.io.tool_output(f"Common root directory: {self.root}")
 
     def set_repo(self, cmd_line_fnames):
         if not cmd_line_fnames:
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ class Coder:
         for fname in cmd_line_fnames:
             fname = Path(fname)
             if not fname.exists():
-                self.io.tool(f"Creating empty file {fname}")
+                self.io.tool_output(f"Creating empty file {fname}")
                 fname.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
                 fname.touch()
 
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ class Coder:
             if fname.is_dir():
                 continue
 
-            self.io.tool(f"Added {fname} to the chat")
+            self.io.tool_output(f"Added {fname} to the chat")
 
             fname = fname.resolve()
             self.abs_fnames.add(str(fname))
@@ -145,18 +145,18 @@ class Coder:
         if new_files:
             rel_repo_dir = os.path.relpath(repo.git_dir, os.getcwd())
 
-            self.io.tool(f"Files not tracked in {rel_repo_dir}:")
+            self.io.tool_output(f"Files not tracked in {rel_repo_dir}:")
             for fn in new_files:
-                self.io.tool(f" - {fn}")
+                self.io.tool_output(f" - {fn}")
             if self.io.confirm_ask("Add them?"):
                 for relative_fname in new_files:
                     repo.git.add(relative_fname)
-                    self.io.tool(f"Added {relative_fname} to the git repo")
+                    self.io.tool_output(f"Added {relative_fname} to the git repo")
                 show_files = ", ".join(new_files)
                 commit_message = f"Added new files to the git repo: {show_files}"
                 repo.git.commit("-m", commit_message, "--no-verify")
                 commit_hash = repo.head.commit.hexsha[:7]
-                self.io.tool(f"Commit {commit_hash} {commit_message}")
+                self.io.tool_output(f"Commit {commit_hash} {commit_message}")
             else:
                 self.io.tool_error("Skipped adding new files to the git repo.")
                 return
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ class Coder:
             self.cur_messages = []
 
             if inp.strip():
-                self.io.tool("Use up-arrow to retry previous command:", inp)
+                self.io.tool_output("Use up-arrow to retry previous command:", inp)
             return
 
         if not inp:
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ class Coder:
             dict(role="assistant", content=content),
         ]
 
-        self.io.tool()
+        self.io.tool_output()
         if interrupted:
             return
 
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ class Coder:
             return
 
         for rel_fname in mentioned_rel_fnames:
-            self.io.tool(rel_fname)
+            self.io.tool_output(rel_fname)
 
         if not self.io.confirm_ask("Add these files to the chat?"):
             return
@@ -476,9 +476,9 @@ class Coder:
             edited.add(path)
             if utils.do_replace(full_path, original, updated, self.dry_run):
                 if self.dry_run:
-                    self.io.tool(f"Dry run, did not apply edit to {path}")
+                    self.io.tool_output(f"Dry run, did not apply edit to {path}")
                 else:
-                    self.io.tool(f"Applied edit to {path}")
+                    self.io.tool_output(f"Applied edit to {path}")
             else:
                 self.io.tool_error(f"Failed to apply edit to {path}")
 
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ class Coder:
             raise ValueError(f"Invalid value for 'which': {which}")
 
         if self.show_diffs or ask:
-            # don't use io.tool() because we don't want to log or further colorize
+            # don't use io.tool_output() because we don't want to log or further colorize
             print(diffs)
 
         context = self.get_context_from_history(history)
@@ -588,9 +588,9 @@ class Coder:
 
         if ask:
             if which == "repo_files":
-                self.io.tool("Git repo has uncommitted changes.")
+                self.io.tool_output("Git repo has uncommitted changes.")
             else:
-                self.io.tool("Files have uncommitted changes.")
+                self.io.tool_output("Files have uncommitted changes.")
 
             res = self.io.prompt_ask(
                 "Commit before the chat proceeds [y/n/commit message]?",
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ class Coder:
             ).strip()
             self.last_asked_for_commit_time = self.get_last_modified()
 
-            self.io.tool()
+            self.io.tool_output()
 
             if res.lower() in ["n", "no"]:
                 self.io.tool_error("Skipped commmit.")
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ class Coder:
         full_commit_message = commit_message + "\n\n" + context
         repo.git.commit("-m", full_commit_message, "--no-verify")
         commit_hash = repo.head.commit.hexsha[:7]
-        self.io.tool(f"Commit {commit_hash} {commit_message}")
+        self.io.tool_output(f"Commit {commit_hash} {commit_message}")
 
         return commit_hash, commit_message
 
diff --git a/aider/commands.py b/aider/commands.py
index 00fd36182..666b3dac8 100644
--- a/aider/commands.py
+++ b/aider/commands.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class Commands:
         if cmd_method:
             return cmd_method(args)
         else:
-            self.io.tool(f"Error: Command {cmd_name} not found.")
+            self.io.tool_output(f"Error: Command {cmd_name} not found.")
 
     def run(self, inp):
         words = inp.strip().split()
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class Commands:
             self.io.tool_error("The last commit was not made by aider in this chat session.")
             return
         self.coder.repo.git.reset("--hard", "HEAD~1")
-        self.io.tool(
+        self.io.tool_output(
             f"{last_commit.message.strip()}\n"
             f"The above commit {self.coder.last_aider_commit_hash} "
             "was reset and removed from git.\n"
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ class Commands:
         commits = f"{self.coder.last_aider_commit_hash}~1"
         diff = self.coder.get_diffs(commits, self.coder.last_aider_commit_hash)
 
-        # don't use io.tool() because we don't want to log or further colorize
+        # don't use io.tool_output() because we don't want to log or further colorize
         print(diff)
 
     def completions_add(self, partial):
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ class Commands:
                 abs_file_path = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(self.coder.root, matched_file))
                 if abs_file_path not in self.coder.abs_fnames:
                     self.coder.abs_fnames.add(abs_file_path)
-                    self.io.tool(f"Added {matched_file} to the chat")
+                    self.io.tool_output(f"Added {matched_file} to the chat")
                     added_fnames.append(matched_file)
                 else:
                     self.io.tool_error(f"{matched_file} is already in the chat")
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ class Commands:
             for matched_file in matched_files:
                 relative_fname = os.path.relpath(matched_file, self.coder.root)
                 self.coder.abs_fnames.remove(matched_file)
-                self.io.tool(f"Removed {relative_fname} from the chat")
+                self.io.tool_output(f"Removed {relative_fname} from the chat")
 
     def cmd_run(self, args):
         "Run a shell command and optionally add the output to the chat"
@@ -258,14 +258,14 @@ class Commands:
                 other_files.append(file)
 
         if chat_files:
-            self.io.tool("Files in chat:\n")
+            self.io.tool_output("Files in chat:\n")
         for file in chat_files:
-            self.io.tool(f"  {file}")
+            self.io.tool_output(f"  {file}")
 
         if other_files:
-            self.io.tool("\nRepo files not in the chat:\n")
+            self.io.tool_output("\nRepo files not in the chat:\n")
         for file in other_files:
-            self.io.tool(f"  {file}")
+            self.io.tool_output(f"  {file}")
 
     def cmd_help(self, args):
         "Show help about all commands"
@@ -275,6 +275,6 @@ class Commands:
             cmd_method = getattr(self, cmd_method_name, None)
             if cmd_method:
                 description = cmd_method.__doc__
-                self.io.tool(f"{cmd} {description}")
+                self.io.tool_output(f"{cmd} {description}")
             else:
-                self.io.tool(f"{cmd} No description available.")
+                self.io.tool_output(f"{cmd} No description available.")
diff --git a/aider/io.py b/aider/io.py
index 7a8fc8966..9f600aff6 100644
--- a/aider/io.py
+++ b/aider/io.py
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ class InputOutput:
         style = dict(style=self.tool_error_color) if self.tool_error_color else dict()
         self.console.print(message, **style)
 
-    def tool(self, *messages, log_only=False):
+    def tool_output(self, *messages, log_only=False):
         if messages:
             hist = " ".join(messages)
             hist = f"{hist.strip()}"
diff --git a/aider/main.py b/aider/main.py
index 6203e0543..5cbf53c27 100644
--- a/aider/main.py
+++ b/aider/main.py
@@ -182,12 +182,12 @@ def main(args=None, input=None, output=None):
 
     if args.verbose:
         show = parser.format_values()
-        io.tool(show)
-        io.tool("Option settings:")
+        io.tool_output(show)
+        io.tool_output("Option settings:")
         for arg, val in sorted(vars(args).items()):
-            io.tool(f"  - {arg}: {val}")
+            io.tool_output(f"  - {arg}: {val}")
 
-    io.tool(*sys.argv, log_only=True)
+    io.tool_output(*sys.argv, log_only=True)
 
     if not args.openai_api_key:
         io.tool_error("No OpenAI API key provided. Use --openai-api-key or env OPENAI_API_KEY.")
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ def main(args=None, input=None, output=None):
         coder.update_files(content, inp="")
         return
 
-    io.tool("Use /help to see in-chat commands.")
+    io.tool_output("Use /help to see in-chat commands.")
     coder.run()