# dean vs def

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### dean
*noun · IPA /diːn/ · frequency rank #3,615*
A senior official in a college or university, who may be in charge of a division or faculty (for example, the dean of science) or have some other advisory or disciplinary function (for example, the dean of students).

### def
*noun · IPA /dɛf/ · frequency rank #8,138*
Abbreviation of definition.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-02.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dean-vs-def