Which to use
“modal” is an adjective and “modelo” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #34,373
- “modal” frequency rank
- #871
- “modelo” frequency rank
- 35244
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | modal | modelo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | relativo ao modo ou modalidade | cópia de algo em tamanho bem menor que o original |
Where the eye mixes modal and modelo
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses modal with modelo
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: modal is /mu.ˈdaɫ/ while modelo is /mu.ˈde.lu/. 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 35244, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
modal is recorded at frequency rank #34,373, classified as anadj, pronounced /mu.ˈdaɫ/. modelo is at rank #871, tagged as anoun, pronounced /mu.ˈde.lu/.
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 35244, this pair ranks #31,822 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of modal vs modelo
Shared letters: dlmo. Private to "modal": a. Private to "modelo": e.
"modal" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "modelo" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "modal" for "modelo" ever safe?
Which is more common, "modal" or "modelo"?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "modal" and "modelo" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "modal" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "modelo" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #31,822 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "modal" and "modelo" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "moca vs modal". 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 #31,822 of 75,631 scored Portuguese pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.