modalvsmolaWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: modal is a adjective, mola is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“modal” is an adjective and “mola” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#49,802
“modal” frequency rank
#12,649
“mola” frequency rank
62451
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature modal mola
Definition Que comprende o incluye modo o determinación particular. Harina de escanda, tostada y mezclada con sal, que se usaba para quemar reses en los sacrificios antiguos.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set modal and mola apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
modal
4 ch
mola

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: modal is [moˈð̞al] while mola is [ˈmola]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 62451, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

modal is recorded at frequency rank #49,802, classified as anadj, pronounced [moˈð̞al]. mola is at rank #12,649, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmola].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 62451, this pair ranks #51,983 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of modal vs mola

Shared letters: almo. Private to "modal": d. Private to "mola": -.

"modal" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "mola" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • modalmdoal · mmodal · moadl · modall · moddal · modla · omdal
  • molamloa · mmola · moal · molla · omla

Frequency comparison

modal#49,802
mola#12,649

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "modal" and "mola" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "modal" is an adjective and "mola" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "modal" or "mola"?
"mola" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,649 in our Spanish list, against #49,802 for "modal". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering modal vs mola

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “modal”; for a noun, it's “mola”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “modal” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list