Which to use
“modes” and “modi” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,588
- “modes” frequency rank
- #45,175
- “modi” frequency rank
- 49763
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | modes | modi |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ensemble de parure que l’on rajoute à un vêtement, dentelles, plumes, etc. colifichet. Autrefois, l‘apanage des modistes. | Pluriel de modus. |
Where the eye mixes modes and modi
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between modes and modi
A purely visual mix-up. modes (\mɔd\) and modi (\mɔ.di\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 49763, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
modes is recorded at frequency rank #4,588, classified as anoun, pronounced \mɔd\. modi is at rank #45,175, tagged as anoun, pronounced \mɔ.di\.
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 49763, this pair ranks #168,028 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of modes vs modi
Shared letters: dmo. Private to "modes": es. Private to "modi": i.
"modes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "modi" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "modes" and "modi" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "modes" vs "modi" - which ranks higher?
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 "modes" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "modi" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #168,028 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "modes" and "modi" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "modi vs mud". 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 #168,028 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.