modus operandi

[ˈmoð̞us opeˈɾãn̪d̪i]

/[ˈmoð̞us opeˈɾãn̪d̪i]/ phrase

The verdict

“modus operandi” is uncommon Spanish (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Manera habitual de proceder de una persona o de un grupo de personas. Usado especialmente por la policía e investigadores para describir la conducta de un reo.

Corpus desk

Index ES-modus-operandi · modus operandi · Spanish

modus operandi · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "M" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for modus operandi
PropertyValue
Headwordmodus operandi
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[ˈmoð̞us opeˈɾãn̪d̪i]
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Cola larga: rango de “modus operandi” en español

modus operandiqueda fuera de las 100.000 palabras españolas más frecuentes, en la cola larga de vocabulario técnico, arcaico o raro, justo donde más se duda de la ortografía.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

modus operandi is uncommon Spanish outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [ˈmoð̞us opeˈɾãn̪d̪i]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Manera habitual de proceder de una persona o de un grupo de personas. Usado especialmente por la policía e investigadores para describir la conducta de un reo.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for modus operandi, a sign its spelling follows regular Spanish conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Spanish form is modus operandi, spelled M-O-D-U-S- -O-P-E-R-A-N-D-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    Manera habitual de proceder de una persona o de un grupo de personas. Usado especialmente por la policía e investigadores para describir la conducta de un reo.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "modus operandi"?
"modus operandi" is spelled M-O-D-U-S- -O-P-E-R-A-N-D-I. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈmoð̞us opeˈɾãn̪d̪i].
What does "modus operandi" mean?
As a phrase, "modus operandi" means: Manera habitual de proceder de una persona o de un grupo de personas. Usado especialmente por la policía e investigadores para describir la conducta de un reo.
How do you pronounce "modus operandi"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "modus operandi" is [ˈmoð̞us opeˈɾãn̪d̪i]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "modus operandi" come from?
"modus operandi" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list