Which to use
“detain” is a verb and “drain” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #22,056
- “detain” frequency rank
- #6,353
- “drain” frequency rank
- 28409
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | detain | drain |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To keep something from proceeding or coming to completion; to delay. | A conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an otherwise contained volume; a plughole (UK) |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set detain and drain apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: detain is /dɪˈteɪn/ while drain is /dɹeɪn/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28409, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
detain is recorded at frequency rank #22,056, classified as averb, pronounced /dɪˈteɪn/. drain is at rank #6,353, tagged as anoun, pronounced /dɹeɪn/.
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 28409, this pair ranks #371,288 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of detain vs drain
Shared letters: adin. Private to "detain": et. Private to "drain": r.
"detain" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "drain" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "detain" and "drain" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "detain" or "drain"?
Remembering detain vs drain
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “detain”; for a noun, it's “drain”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “detain” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable