defend

/dɪˈfɛnd/

//dɪˈfɛnd// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"defend" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“defend” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,159. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,159
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect; to guard.

Corpus desk

Index EN-defend · defend · English

defend · rank #3,159 · 9 variants · 16 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,159
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 16 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH consequences

Nearest frequency peer: consequences (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “defend”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “defend” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

defend vs defer
67% similar
defend vs demand
67% similar
defend vs define
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for defend
PropertyValue
Headworddefend
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈfɛnd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,159
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “defend” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).defendlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “consequences” (#3,158), “divided” (#3,160), “confused” (#3,157). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around defend (IPA /dɪˈfɛnd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #3,159 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for defend, with forms such as "ddefend", "deefnd", and "defedn". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "defer", "demand", "define", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English defenden, from Old French defendre, deffendre (Modern French défendre), from Latin dēfendō (“to ward off”), from Proto-Italic *fendō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen-. Displaced native Old English bewerian. The correct English form is defend, spelled D-E-F-E-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect; to guard.
  2. 2
    To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.
  3. 3
    To make legal defence of; to represent (the accused).
  4. 4
    To focus one's energies and talents on preventing opponents from scoring, as opposed to focusing on scoring.
  5. 5
    Mostly in tests. The action of not putting force into hitting a shot, but to conserve energy and wear down bowlers so they can attack later.
  6. 6
    To attempt to retain a title, or attempt to reach the same stage in a competition as one did in the previous instance of that competition.
  7. 7
    To call a raise from the big blind.
  8. 8
    To ward off, repel (an attack or attacker).
  9. 9
    To prevent, to keep (from doing something).
  10. 10
    To prohibit, forbid.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how defend appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Most Zionists hoped for a state of their own, but early in the 20th century, writers like Hillel Solotaroff and Chaim Zhitlowsky, both Yiddish-speaking immigrant intellectuals in New York, imagined another alternative: a federation of self-governing anarchist communes in Palestine that would defend Jewish life without relying on state power.
  2. Justice Elena Kagan on Thursday defended the code of conduct the Supreme Court created last year, but conceded there needs to be a way to enforce the rules for it to be more effective.

Etymology

From Middle English defenden, from Old French defendre, deffendre (Modern French défendre), from Latin dēfendō (“to ward off”), from Proto-Italic *fendō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen-. Displaced native Old English bewerian.

Synonyms

beshieldbewardbroodcape fordefendfendguardpreserveprotectsafeguardsecuresheltershieldward

Antonyms

attack

This word in other languages

defender(Español)défendre(Français)verteidigen(Deutsch)defender(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddefend
  • deefnd
  • defedn
  • defendd
  • defennd
  • deffend
  • defned
  • dfeend
  • edfend

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of defend - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ddefend1deefnd2defedn2defendd1defennd1deffend1defned2dfeend2
Edit distance from "defend"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "defend"?
"defend" is spelled D-E-F-E-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈfɛnd/.
What does "defend" mean?
As a verb, "defend" means: To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect; to guard.
What words are commonly confused with "defend"?
"defend" is commonly confused with "defer", "demand", "define". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "defend"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "defend" is /dɪˈfɛnd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "defend"?
From Middle English defenden, from Old French defendre, deffendre (Modern French défendre), from Latin dēfendō (“to ward off”), from Proto-Italic *fendō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen-. Displaced native Old English bewerian. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "defend", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

extent#3,163format#3,165gotten#3,168tested#3,144

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

limits9 variantsloving9 variantsproved9 variantsrolling9 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "defend". Here's where to go from here.

  • "defend" maps to 16 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "defer". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #3,159 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "D" letter cohort. D–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list