# deter vs detest

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### deter
*verb · IPA /dɪˈtɜː/ · frequency rank #15,383*
To prevent something from happening.

### detest
*verb · IPA /dɪˈtɛst/ · frequency rank #34,016*
To dislike (someone or something) intensely; to loathe.

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