modest

/ˈmɑdəst/

//ˈmɑdəst// adj

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

"modest" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“modest” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,811. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,811
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble.

Corpus desk

Index EN-modest · modest · English

modest · rank #6,811 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,811
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH mob

Nearest frequency peer: mob (-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 “modest”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “modest” 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).

modest vs most
67% similar
modest vs mods
67% similar
modest vs moves
67% similar

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

Key facts for modest
PropertyValue
Headwordmodest
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈmɑdəst/
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,811
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “modest”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “mob” (#6,810), “motors” (#6,812), “mineral” (#6,809). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “modest” is #6,811. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around modest (IPA /ˈmɑdəst/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #6,811 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for modest, with forms such as "mdoest", "mmodest", and "moddest". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "most", "mods", "moves", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French modeste, from Latin modestus. The correct English form is modest, spelled M-O-D-E-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble.
  2. 2
    Small, moderate in size.
  3. 3
    Pure and delicate from a sense of propriety.
  4. 4
    Intending to avoid the encouraging of sexual attraction in others.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He earns a modest amount of money.
  2. Her latest novel was a modest success.

Etymology

From Middle French modeste, from Latin modestus.

This word in other languages

modesto(Español)modeste(Français)bescheiden(Deutsch)modesto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mdoest
  • mmodest
  • moddest
  • modesst
  • modestt
  • modets
  • modset
  • moedst
  • omdest

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mdoest2mmodest1moddest1modesst1modestt1modets2modset2moedst2
Edit distance from "modest"

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 "modest"?
"modest" is spelled M-O-D-E-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɑdəst/.
What does "modest" mean?
As an adjective, "modest" means: Not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble.
What words are commonly confused with "modest"?
"modest" is commonly confused with "most", "mods", "moves". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "modest"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "modest" is /ˈmɑdəst/. 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 "modest"?
From Middle French modeste, from Latin modestus. 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 "modest", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

motors#6,812ladder#6,804kidney#6,802insist#6,798

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Hudson9 variantsreject9 variantsHarold9 variantsflames9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list