# details vs detain

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### details
*verb · IPA /ˈdiːteɪlz/ · frequency rank #1,301*
third-person singular simple present indicative of detail

### detain
*verb · IPA /dɪˈteɪn/ · frequency rank #22,056*
To keep something from proceeding or coming to completion; to delay.

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