modern

[moˈdɛʁn]

/[moˈdɛʁn]/ adj

The verdict

“modern” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #4,450 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#4,450
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - der Zeit entsprechend, neuzeitlich

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

modern vs mögen
50% similar
modern vs Moser
50% similar
modern vs Moers
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for modern
PropertyValue
Headwordmodern
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[moˈdɛʁn]
Letters6
Frequency rank#4,450
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “modern” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). modern lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for modern is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [moˈdɛʁn]. Corpus data places it at rank #4,450 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for modern, with forms such as "mdoern", "mmodern", and "moddern". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "mögen", "Moser", "Moers", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is modern, spelled M-O-D-E-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    der Zeit entsprechend, neuzeitlich
  2. 2
    in Mode
  3. 3
    der Epoche der Moderne zugehörig

Synonyms

Antonyms

antimodernunmodernaltmodischnachmodernpostmodernprämodernvormodern

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mdoern,mmodern,moddern,modenr,modernn,moderrn,modren,moedrn,omdern

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of modern - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

mdoern2mmodern1moddern1modenr2modernn1moderrn1modren2moedrn2
Edit distance from "modern"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "modern"?
"modern" is spelled M-O-D-E-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is [moˈdɛʁn].
What does "modern" mean?
As an adjective, "modern" means: der Zeit entsprechend, neuzeitlich
What words are commonly confused with "modern"?
"modern" is commonly confused with "mögen", "Moser", "Moers". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "modern"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "modern" is [moˈdɛʁn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "modern" come from?
"modern" 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.

Using “modern”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is M-O-D-E-R-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [moˈdɛʁn] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “mögen” - see the side-by-side comparison. modern vs mögen
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

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