Modified Vernier method for uniquely determining a physical variable Φ on the basis of m phase measurement values α i with 1 ≤ i ≤ m and m ≥2, wherein the phase measurement values α i have differing, integer periodicities n i within a uniqueness range E of the physical variable Φ, for which E = Φ | Φ U ≤ Φ ≤ Φ O applies, with the lower and upper limits Φ U and Φ O, said periodicities denoting the number of elapsed periods of the phase signal in the uniqueness range E, wherein a value T with T = T α j, n l and j, l ∈ Z 1,..., m in the style of T = α 1 ⋅ n 2 − α 2 ⋅ n 1 is initially calculated from the phase measurement values α i and the periodicities n i thereof, a value V is subsequently assigned to the value T, and ultimately there is a weighted addition of the value V with the phase measurement values α i for the purposes of determining the physical variable Φ, characterized in that the periodicities n i have an integer period number difference Δ n = | n i − n i − 1 | with Δn > 1, wherein, within a reduced uniqueness range Ered with E r e d ≈ 1 Δ n ⋅ E, the value V is assigned to the value T by an assignment according to V = V T = { V 1 for T O 1 > T ≥ T U 1 V 2 for T U 2 ≤ T < T O 2 V 3 for T U 3 ≤ T < T O 3 ⋯ V k for T U k ≤ T < T O k with T Uk for a respective lower limit and T Ok for a respective upper limit of T, where T is mapped to an integer value V with the aid of a rounding operation V = round T, wherein the limits T Uk, T Ok of the assignment correspond to a modified rounding emerging from the periodicities n i, which rounding admits only the aforementioned values for V, and the assignment intervals Δ T = | T O k − T U k | between the upper ( T Ok) and lower limits ( T Uk) for T and the distances Δ V = | V k + 1 − V k | correspond at least to the period number difference Δ n, wherein: the value V = V is an integer V ∈ Z and is weighted by multiplication by a weighting factor (M 3) prior to the addition with the phase measurement values α i for the purposes of determining Φ, the phase measurement values α i are in each case weighted by multiplication by a dedicated weighting factor w i with 1 ≤ i ≤ m prior to the addition for determining Φ, and the weighting factors w i are selected to be w i = 1 m ⋅ n i with 1 = ∑ i = 1 m w i ⋅ n i where the following applies to the weighted summation: Φ = M 3 V + w 1 α 1 + w 2 α 2, where, for the purposes of determining the physical variable Φ, two phase measurement values α 1 and α 2 with periodicities n 1 = 7 and n 2 = 9 are captured in the uniqueness range E of Φ, wherein a reduced uniqueness range E r e d = 0.444 ⋅ E is considered and T is calculated as T α j, n l = α 1 ⋅ n 2 − α 2 ⋅ n 1, where V = V T = { 7 for T ≥ 6 5 for 4 ≤ T < 6 3 for 1.5 ≤ T < 4 0 for − 1 ≤ T < 1.5 − 2 for − 3 ≤ T < − 1 − 4 for − 5 ≤ T < − 3 − 6 for T < − 5 applies within the reduced uniqueness range E red and Φ is calculated as Φ = M 3 V + w 1 α 1 + w 2 α 2, with M 3 = 0.4365, w 1 = 1/14 and w 2 = 1/18. the value V = V is an integer V ∈ Z and is weighted by multiplication by a weighting factor (M 3) prior to the addition with the phase measurement values α i for the purposes of determining Φ, the phase measurement values α i are in each case weighted by multiplication by a dedicated weighting factor w i with 1 ≤ i ≤ m prior to the addition for determining Φ, and the weighting factors w i are selected to be w i = 1 m ⋅ n i with 1 = ∑ i = 1 m w i ⋅ n i where the following applies to the weighted summation: Φ = M 3 V + w 1 α 1 + w 2 α 2, where, for the purposes of determining the physical variable Φ, two phase measurement values α 1 and α 2 with periodicities n 1 = 7 and n 2 = 9 are captured in the uniqueness range E of Φ, wherein a reduced uniqueness range E r e d = 0.444 ⋅ E is considered and T is calculated as T α j, n l = α 1 ⋅ n 2 − α 2 ⋅ n 1, where V = V T = { 7 for T ≥ 6 5 for 4 ≤ T < 6 3 for 1.5 ≤ T < 4 0 for − 1 ≤ T < 1.5 − 2 for − 3 ≤ T < − 1 − 4 for − 5 ≤ T < − 3 − 6 for T < − 5 applies within the reduced uniqueness range E red and Φ is calculated as Φ = M 3 V + w 1 α 1 + w 2 α 2, with M 3 = 0.4365, w 1 = 1/14 and w 2 = 1/18.