Which to use
“modèle” is a noun and “modérer” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #905
- “modèle” frequency rank
- #24,678
- “modérer” frequency rank
- 25583
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | modèle | modérer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ce qui sert d’exemple ; ce qui doit être imité. | Diminuer ; adoucir ; tempérer ; rendre moins violent ; tenir dans de justes limites. |
Where the eye mixes modèle and modérer
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. modèle runs 6 letters (CVCVCV) against modérer's 7 (CVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses modèle with modérer
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: modèle is \mɔ.dɛl\ while modérer is \mɔ.de.ʁe\. 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 (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25583, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
modèle is recorded at frequency rank #905, classified as anoun, pronounced \mɔ.dɛl\. modérer is at rank #24,678, tagged as averb, pronounced \mɔ.de.ʁe\.
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 25583, this pair ranks #340,021 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of modèle vs modérer
Shared letters: demo. Private to "modèle": lè. Private to "modérer": ré.
"modèle" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "modérer" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "modèle" and "modérer" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary French text, does "modèle" or "modérer" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "modèle" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "modérer" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #340,021 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "modèle" and "modérer" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Modène vs modérer". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #340,021 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.