moderator

/ˈmɒdəˌɹeɪtə(ɹ)/

//ˈmɒdəˌɹeɪtə(ɹ)// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"moderator" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“moderator” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,973. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,973
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Someone who moderates.

Corpus desk

Index EN-moderator · moderator · English

moderator · rank #16,973 · 13 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,973
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH MJ

Nearest frequency peer: MJ (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “moderator”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “moderator” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

moderator vs modulator
78% similar
moderator vs moderate
78% similar
moderator vs moderation
80% similar

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

Key facts for moderator
PropertyValue
Headwordmoderator
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɒdəˌɹeɪtə(ɹ)/
Letters9
Frequency rank#16,973
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “moderator”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).moderatorlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “MJ” (#16,972), “momma” (#16,974), “mined” (#16,971). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “moderator” is #16,973. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around moderator (IPA /ˈmɒdəˌɹeɪtə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,973 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for moderator, with forms such as "mdoerator", "mmoderator", and "modderator". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "modulator", "moderate", "moderation", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin moderātor. First attested as Middle English moderatour. By surface analysis, moderate + -or. The correct English form is moderator, spelled M-O-D-E-R-A-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who moderates.
  2. 2
    Someone who moderates.
  3. 3
    Someone who moderates.
  4. 4
    Someone who moderates.
  5. 5
    The person who presides over a synod of a Presbyterian church.
  6. 6
    A substance (often water or graphite) used to decrease the speed of fast neutrons in a nuclear reactor and hence increase likelihood of fission.
  7. 7
    A device used to deaden some of the noise from a firearm, although not to the same extent as a suppressor or silencer.
  8. 8
    An examiner at Oxford and Cambridge universities.
  9. 9
    At the University of Dublin, either the first (senior) or second (junior) in rank in an examination for the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
  10. 10
    Someone who supervises and monitors the setting and marking of examinations by different people to ensure consistency of standards.
  11. 11
    A mechanical arrangement for regulating motion in a machine, or producing equality of effect.
  12. 12
    A kind of lamp in which the flow of the oil to the wick is regulated.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how moderator appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Angling was […] a moderator of passions.
  2. Instead of focusing on the stressors, as in most research on caregiving, it may be wise to focus on the likely moderators: coping, and social support between stressors and stress. It is often difficult to help an individual to solve his or her primary problem, whereas providing social support and improving coping ability is feasible.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin moderātor. First attested as Middle English moderatour. By surface analysis, moderate + -or.

This word in other languages

moderador(Español)modérateur(Français)Moderator(Deutsch)moderador(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mdoerator
  • mmoderator
  • modderator
  • modeartor
  • moderaotr
  • moderatorr
  • moderatro
  • moderattor
  • moderrator
  • modertaor
  • modreator
  • moedrator
  • omderator

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of moderator - 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.

mdoerator2mmoderator1modderator1modeartor2moderaotr2moderatorr1moderatro2moderattor1
Edit distance from "moderator"

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "moderator"?
"moderator" is spelled M-O-D-E-R-A-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɒdəˌɹeɪtə(ɹ)/.
What does "moderator" mean?
As a noun, "moderator" means: Someone who moderates.
What words are commonly confused with "moderator"?
"moderator" is commonly confused with "modulator", "moderate", "moderation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "moderator"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "moderator" is /ˈmɒdəˌɹeɪtə(ɹ)/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "moderator"?
Learned borrowing from Latin moderātor. First attested as Middle English moderatour. By surface analysis, moderate + -or. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "moderator", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

monstrous#16,975madeleine#16,962prevailed#17,001proactive#17,002

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

spraying13 variantsevergreen13 variantsclubhouse13 variantsbrowning13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list