modify
mod·i·fy/ˈmɑ.dɪˌfaɪ/verb
modify is spelled M-O-D-I-F-Y: 6 letters and 3 syllables (mod·i·fy). It appears 6.2 times per million words in written English, the 9,735th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, modify means “To change part of” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in modify?
| Letters | 6: M-O-D-I-F-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: mod·i·fy |
| In writing | 6.2 times per million words; the 9,735th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is modify?
Modify appears 6.2 times per million words in written English, the 9,735th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce modify?
- UK /ˈmɒd.ɪ.faɪ/
- US /ˈmɑ.dɪˌfaɪ/
Modify has 3 syllables, split mod·i·fy in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-modify.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with modify?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as modify from its last stressed vowel (/ɑdɪfaɪ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of modify
- modifies present, singular, he/she/it
- modifying participle, present
- modified participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does modify mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To change part of.
Her publisher advised her to modify a few parts of the book to make it easier to read.
- 2
To be or become modified.
- 3
To set bounds to; to moderate.
- 4
To qualify the meaning of.
verb
- 1
IndiainformalTo align with the ideology of Narendra Modi or Bharatiya Janata Party.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Modify in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to change part of:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does modify come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).