modernise

/ˈmɒdənaɪz/

//ˈmɒdənaɪz// verb

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

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

The verdict

“modernise” is uncommon English (frequency #51,853 among 36,575 “M” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,853
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of modernize.

Key facts for modernise
PropertyValue
Headwordmodernise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈmɒdənaɪz/
Letters9
Frequency rank#51,853
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “modernise” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). modernise lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

modernise is uncommon English at frequency #51,853 among 36,575 “M” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈmɒdənaɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of modernize.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for modernise, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is modernise, spelled M-O-D-E-R-N-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of modernize.

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 "modernise"?
"modernise" is spelled M-O-D-E-R-N-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɒdənaɪz/.
What does "modernise" mean?
As a verb, "modernise" means: Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of modernize.
How do you pronounce "modernise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "modernise" is /ˈmɒdənaɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "modernise" come from?
"modernise" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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.

Using “modernise”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is M-O-D-E-R-N-I-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmɒdənaɪz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list