Which to use
“modest” is an adjective and “molest” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,811
- “modest” frequency rank
- #40,346
- “molest” frequency rank
- 47157
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | modest | molest |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble. | To sexually assault or sexually harass. |
Where the eye mixes modest and molest
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses modest with molest
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: modest is /ˈmɑdəst/ while molest is /məˈlɛst/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - d in “modest” becomes l in “molest”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47157, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
modest is recorded at frequency rank #6,811, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈmɑdəst/. molest is at rank #40,346, tagged as averb, pronounced /məˈlɛst/.
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 47157, this pair ranks #205,058 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of modest vs molest
Shared letters: emost. Private to "modest": d. Private to "molest": l.
"modest" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC · "molest" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "modest" and "molest" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "modest" or "molest"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "modest" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "molest" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #205,058 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "modest" and "molest" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "molest vs molester". 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 #205,058 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.