Modalverb

[moˈdaːlˌvɛʁp]

/[moˈdaːlˌvɛʁp]/ noun

The verdict

“Modalverb” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - ein Verb, das ein Vollverb dahingehend ergänzt, dass es ausdrückt, ob die Handlung zum Beispiel möglich, gewollt oder notwendig ist

Corpus desk

Index DE-modalverb · Modalverb · German

Modalverb · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "M" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for Modalverb
PropertyValue
HeadwordModalverb
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[moˈdaːlˌvɛʁp]
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Modalverb“ im Deutschen

Modalverbschafft es nicht in die Top 100.000 des Deutschen: Zone für Fach-, Alt- oder Seltenwortschatz.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Modalverb is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [moˈdaːlˌvɛʁp]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "ein Verb, das ein Vollverb dahingehend ergänzt, dass es ausdrückt, ob die Handlung zum Beispiel möglich, gewollt oder notwendig ist".

No generated misspelling entries exist for Modalverb in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is Modalverb, spelled M-O-D-A-L-V-E-R-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    ein Verb, das ein Vollverb dahingehend ergänzt, dass es ausdrückt, ob die Handlung zum Beispiel möglich, gewollt oder notwendig ist

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Modalverb appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Modalverben im Deutschen sind: können, dürfen, müssen, sollen, wollen, mögen.
  2. Mit dem Modalverb "dürfen" kann man ausdrücken, dass etwas erlaubt ist.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Modalverb"?
"Modalverb" is spelled M-O-D-A-L-V-E-R-B. The IPA pronunciation is [moˈdaːlˌvɛʁp].
What does "Modalverb" mean?
As a noun, "Modalverb" means: ein Verb, das ein Vollverb dahingehend ergänzt, dass es ausdrückt, ob die Handlung zum Beispiel möglich, gewollt oder notwendig ist
How do you pronounce "Modalverb"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Modalverb" is [moˈdaːlˌvɛʁp]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Modalverb" come from?
"Modalverb" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list