# motif vs motto

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### motif
*noun · IPA /moʊˈtiːf/ · frequency rank #17,188*
A recurring or dominant element; an artistic theme.

### motto
*noun · IPA /ˈmɑ.toʊ/ · frequency rank #10,890*
A personal slogan.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/motif-vs-motto