modernvsmodernemWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“modern” and “modernem” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#4,450
“modern” frequency rank
#40,709
“modernem” frequency rank
45159
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature modern modernem
Definition der Zeit entsprechend, neuzeitlich Dativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs modern

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set modern and modernem apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
modern
8 ch
modernem

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. modern ([moˈdɛʁn]) and modernem ([moˈdɛʁnəm]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “modern” sits inside “modernem”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45159, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

modern is recorded at frequency rank #4,450, classified as anadj, pronounced [moˈdɛʁn]. modernem is at rank #40,709, tagged as anadj, pronounced [moˈdɛʁnəm].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 45159, this pair ranks #1,362,472 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of modern vs modernem

Shared letters: demnor. Private to "modern": -. Private to "modernem": -.

"modern" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC  ·  "modernem" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • modernmdoern · mmodern · moddern · modenr · modernn · moderrn · modren · moedrn
  • modernemmdoernem · mmodernem · moddernem · modenrem · moderenm · modernemm · modernme · modernnem

Frequency comparison

modern#4,450
modernem#40,709

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "modern" and "modernem" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([moˈdɛʁn] versus [moˈdɛʁnəm]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "modern" or "modernem"?
"modern" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,450 in our German list, against #40,709 for "modernem". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering modern vs modernem

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “modern” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list