# defective vs detective

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### defective
*adjective · IPA /dɪˈfɛktɪv/ · frequency rank #13,494*
Having one or more defects.

### detective
*noun · IPA /dɪˈtɛktɪv/ · frequency rank #5,025*
A police officer tasked with collecting evidence and information in order to solve a crime; an investigator.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/defective-vs-detective