# deference vs difference

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### deference
*noun · IPA /ˈdɛfəɹəns/ · frequency rank #30,390*
Great respect.

### difference
*noun · IPA /ˈdɪf(ə)ɹəns/ · frequency rank #1,048*
The quality of being different.

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