modicum

/ˈmɒdɪkəm/

//ˈmɒdɪkəm// noun

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

"modicum" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“modicum” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,256. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#41,256
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A modest, small, or trifling amount.

Corpus desk

Index EN-modicum · modicum · English

modicum · rank #41,256 · 10 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #41,256
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH Montagu

Nearest frequency peer: Montagu (+2 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 “modicum”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “modicum” 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).

modicum vs medium
71% similar

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

Key facts for modicum
PropertyValue
Headwordmodicum
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɒdɪkəm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#41,256
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “modicum”

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).modicumlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Montagu” (#41,258), “microfilm” (#41,253), “Montclair” (#41,259). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “modicum” is #41,256. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around modicum (IPA /ˈmɒdɪkəm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #41,256 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A modest, small, or trifling amount.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for modicum, with forms such as "mdoicum", "mmodicum", and "modcium". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "medium", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English modicum, from Latin modicum (“a little, a small amount”), a noun use of the neuter form of modicus (“moderate; restrained, temperate; reasonable”) + -cum (suffix forming neuter nouns). Modicus is derived from modus (“a measure; a bound, … The correct English form is modicum, spelled M-O-D-I-C-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A modest, small, or trifling amount.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Unable to garner even a modicum of support for his plan, he conceded to follow the others.
  2. Lo, lo, lo, lo, what modicums of wit he vtters, his euaſions haue ears thus long. I haue bobed his braine more then he has beate my bones.

Etymology

From Middle English modicum, from Latin modicum (“a little, a small amount”), a noun use of the neuter form of modicus (“moderate; restrained, temperate; reasonable”) + -cum (suffix forming neuter nouns). Modicus is derived from modus (“a measure; a bound, limit”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure”)) + -icus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). The plural form modica is derived from Latin modica.

Synonyms

aceatomatomyaughtbisselbitcrumbglimpsedabdamndashdiddlyglintdotspatterdropdustingfleckglimmerhintflipflyspeckgrainhalfpennyworthinchiotajotlickmitemodicummoleculemorceaumorselmoteoochounceparticlepennyworthpiecepinchrelishscantlingsemblancescentscintillascoochscrapscrupleshredskerrickskooshskoshsliversmatteringsmidgesmidgensmidgetsmidgysmitchsmithereensoupçonsparkspeckspecklespotsprinklesprinklingstraintadtidbittidgetingetittletoddicktouchtracetrifletuppence worthvestigewhiffwhit

Antonyms

lot

This word in other languages

ápice(Español)minimum(Français)Bisschen(Deutsch)bocadinho(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mdoicum
  • mmodicum
  • modcium
  • moddicum
  • modiccum
  • modicmu
  • modicumm
  • modiucm
  • moidcum
  • omdicum

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of modicum - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

mdoicum2mmodicum1modcium2moddicum1modiccum1modicmu2modicumm1modiucm2
Edit distance from "modicum"

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 "modicum"?
"modicum" is spelled M-O-D-I-C-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɒdɪkəm/.
What does "modicum" mean?
As a noun, "modicum" means: A modest, small, or trifling amount.
What words are commonly confused with "modicum"?
"modicum" is commonly confused with "medium". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "modicum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "modicum" is /ˈmɒdɪkəm/. 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 "modicum"?
From Middle English modicum, from Latin modicum (“a little, a small amount”), a noun use of the neuter form of modicus (“moderate; restrained, temperate; reasonable”) + -cum (suffix forming neuter nouns). Modicus is derived from modus (“a measure;... 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 "modicum", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Montagu#41,258Mowbray#41,264McDavid#41,247Lavigne#41,223

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

larynx10 variantsParvati10 variantsPaulsen10 variantspothole10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list