Which to use
“modernes” and “moyennes” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,547
- “modernes” frequency rank
- #4,694
- “moyennes” frequency rank
- 8241
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | modernes | moyennes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de moderne. | Féminin pluriel de moyen. |
Where the eye mixes modernes and moyennes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. modernes (CVCVCCVC) and moyennes (CVVVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses modernes with moyennes
A purely visual mix-up. modernes (\mɔ.dɛʁn\) and moyennes (\mwa.jɛn\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8241, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
modernes is recorded at frequency rank #3,547, classified as anadj, pronounced \mɔ.dɛʁn\. moyennes is at rank #4,694, tagged as anadj, pronounced \mwa.jɛn\.
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 8241, this pair ranks #420,693 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of modernes vs moyennes
Shared letters: emnos. Private to "modernes": dr. Private to "moyennes": y.
"modernes" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "moyennes" · 8 letters · shape CVVVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "modernes" for "moyennes" ever safe?
Frequency check: "modernes" vs "moyennes" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "modernes" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "moyennes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #420,693 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "modernes" and "moyennes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "modernes vs modernisé". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #420,693 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.