DefektevsdefenceWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Defekte” and “defence” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#17,554
“Defekte” frequency rank
#43,097
“defence” frequency rank
60651
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Defekte defence
Definition Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Defekt Verteidigung, Verteidigungskunst, Schutz

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Defekte and defence apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Defekte
7 ch
defence

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Defekte ([deˈfɛktə]) and defence ([dɪˈfɛns]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60651, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Defekte is recorded at frequency rank #17,554, classified as anoun, pronounced [deˈfɛktə]. defence is at rank #43,097, tagged as anoun, pronounced [dɪˈfɛns].

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 60651, this pair ranks #779,020 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Defekte vs defence

Shared letters: def. Private to "Defekte": kt. Private to "defence": cn.

"Defekte" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV  ·  "defence" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Defekteddefekte · deefkte · defeket · defekkte · defektte · defetke · deffekte · defkete
  • defenceddefence · deefnce · defecne · defencce · defenec · defennce · deffence · defnece

Frequency comparison

Defekte#17,554
defence#43,097

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Defekte" and "defence" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([deˈfɛktə] versus [dɪˈfɛns]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Defekte" or "defence"?
"Defekte" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #17,554 in our German list, against #43,097 for "defence". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Defekte vs defence

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Defekte” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list