Which to use
“modem” and “modus” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,186
- “modem” frequency rank
- #31,659
- “modus” frequency rank
- 48845
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | modem | modus |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A device that encodes digital computer signals into analog telephone signals and vice versa, allowing computers to communicate over a phone line. | The arrangement of, or mode of expressing, the terms of a contract or conveyance. |
Where the eye mixes modem and modus
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses modem with modus
A purely visual mix-up. modem (/ˈməʊdəm/) and modus (/ˈməʊdəs/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48845, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
modem is recorded at frequency rank #17,186, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈməʊdəm/. modus is at rank #31,659, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈməʊdəs/.
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 48845, this pair ranks #189,252 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of modem vs modus
Shared letters: dmo. Private to "modem": e. Private to "modus": su.
"modem" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "modus" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "modem" for "modus" ever safe?
In ordinary English text, does "modem" or "modus" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "modem" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "modus" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #189,252 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "modem" and "modus" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "magus vs modus". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #189,252 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.