modavsmodemConfusable pair

Which to use

“moda” and “modem” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#2,154
“moda” frequency rank
#28,676
“modem” frequency rank
30830
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature moda modem
Definition uso passageiro que regula, de acordo com o gosto do momento, a forma de viver, de vestir, etc dispositivo de entrada e saída, modulador e desmodulador, utilizado para transmissão e processamento de dados entre computadores através de uma linha de comunicação

Where the eye mixes moda and modem

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.

4 ch
moda
5 ch
modem

Look-alike desk: moda vs modem

A purely visual mix-up. moda (/ˈmɔ.dɐ/) and modem (/mɔ.ˈdɛm/) 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 30830, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

moda is recorded at frequency rank #2,154, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈmɔ.dɐ/. modem is at rank #28,676, tagged as anoun, pronounced /mɔ.ˈdɛm/.

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 30830, this pair ranks #37,426 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of moda vs modem

Shared letters: dmo. Private to "moda": a. Private to "modem": e.

"moda" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "modem" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • modamdoa · mmoda · moad · modda · omda
  • modemmdoem · mmodem · moddem · modemm · modme · moedm · omdem

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "moda" and "modem" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently (/ˈmɔ.dɐ/ versus /mɔ.ˈdɛm/) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "moda" vs "modem" - which ranks higher?
"moda" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,154 in our Portuguese list, against #28,676 for "modem". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

After this comparison

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "moda" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "modem" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #37,426 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "moda" and "modem" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "moagem vs modem". 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 #37,426 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list