A numerical analysis of periodic segmented waveguides (PSWs) using the well known technique of two dimensional finite element method (2D-FEM) in the frequency domain is presented. Unlike photonic crystal waveguides (PCWs), light confinement in a PSW is due to total internal reflection as in a continuous waveguide (CWG). Moreover, the dispersion relation of the guided modes in PSW is strongly influenced by the dielectric periodicity along the waveguide. We calculate the mode profile of the PSW in a region far away from the band gap and compare with the mode profile of their equivalent CWG with an averaged refractive index contrast (Δn eq). © 2011 IEEE.