# deter vs detour

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

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

### detour
*noun · IPA /ˈdiː.tɔː(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #22,351*
A diversion or deviation from one's original route.

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