sputter vs modify

sputter is a noun but modify is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
sputter	Yes	No	Yes	No
modify	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, modify is a hypernym of sputter; that is, modify is a word with a broader meaning than sputter:

Other hypernyms of sputter include alter, change.

sputter (noun)	modify (noun)
an utterance (of words) with spitting sounds (as in rage)
the noise of something spattering or sputtering explosively

sputter (verb)	modify (verb)
spit up in an explosive manner	make less severe or harsh or extreme
cause to undergo a process in which atoms are removed	add a modifier to a constituent
utter with a spitting sound, as if in a rage	cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
make an explosive sound