Which to use
“modulus” and “modus” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #39,433
- “modulus” frequency rank
- #31,659
- “modus” frequency rank
- 71092
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | modulus | modus |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The base with respect to which a congruence is computed. | The arrangement of, or mode of expressing, the terms of a contract or conveyance. |
Where the eye mixes modulus and modus
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses modulus with modus
A purely visual mix-up. modulus (/ˈmɒdjʊləs/) 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 differ by 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 71092, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
modulus is recorded at frequency rank #39,433, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈmɒdjʊləs/. 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 71092, this pair ranks #48,029 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of modulus vs modus
Shared letters: dmosu. Private to "modulus": l. Private to "modus": -.
"modulus" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "modus" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "modulus" for "modus" ever safe?
Which is more common, "modulus" or "modus"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "modulus" 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 #48,029 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "modulus" 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 #48,029 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.