modify

/ˈmɒd.ɪ.faɪ/

//ˈmɒd.ɪ.faɪ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“modify” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,783. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,783
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To change part of.

Corpus desk

Index EN-modify · modify · English

modify · rank #9,783 · 9 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,783
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH neglect

Nearest frequency peer: neglect (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “modify”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “modify” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

modify vs motif
67% similar
modify vs Modi
50% similar

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

Key facts for modify
PropertyValue
Headwordmodify
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈmɒd.ɪ.faɪ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#9,783
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “modify” sits in English frequency

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).modifylands 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 “neglect” (#9,784), “Megan” (#9,781), “northwestern” (#9,785). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around modify (IPA /ˈmɒd.ɪ.faɪ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #9,783 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 modify, with forms such as "mdoify", "mmodify", and "moddify". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "motif", "Modi", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English modifien, from Middle French modifier, from Latin modificare (“to limit, control, regulate, deponent”), from modificari (“to measure off, set bound to, moderate”), from modus (“measure”) + facere (“to make”); see mode. The correct English form is modify, spelled M-O-D-I-F-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To change part of.
  2. 2
    To be or become modified.
  3. 3
    To set bounds to; to moderate.
  4. 4
    To qualify the meaning of.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Her publisher advised her to modify a few parts of the book to make it easier to read.
  2. There is inherently no ordering to the modification and no hierarchy of modification: that is, both adjectives modify the substantive and both apply equally to the substantive[…]

Etymology

From Middle English modifien, from Middle French modifier, from Latin modificare (“to limit, control, regulate, deponent”), from modificari (“to measure off, set bound to, moderate”), from modus (“measure”) + facere (“to make”); see mode.

Synonyms

adaptalteramendrevamprework

This word in other languages

modificar(Español)modifier(Français)ändern(Deutsch)modificar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mdoify
  • mmodify
  • moddify
  • modfiy
  • modiffy
  • modifyy
  • modiyf
  • moidfy
  • omdify

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mdoify2mmodify1moddify1modfiy2modiffy1modifyy1modiyf2moidfy2
Edit distance from "modify"

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 "modify"?
"modify" is spelled M-O-D-I-F-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɒd.ɪ.faɪ/.
What does "modify" mean?
As a verb, "modify" means: To change part of.
What words are commonly confused with "modify"?
"modify" is commonly confused with "motif", "Modi". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "modify"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "modify" is /ˈmɒd.ɪ.faɪ/. 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 "modify"?
From Middle English modifien, from Middle French modifier, from Latin modificare (“to limit, control, regulate, deponent”), from modificari (“to measure off, set bound to, moderate”), from modus (“measure”) + facere (“to make”); see mode. 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 "modify", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

loudly#9,778Latino#9,776pumped#9,803remake#9,808

Similar misspelling depth

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

gamble9 variantsspelled9 variantsdevils9 variantstucker9 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "modify". Here's where to go from here.

  • "modify" maps to 2 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "motif". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #9,783 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "M" letter cohort. M–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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