defender

/dɪˈfɛndə(ɹ)/

//dɪˈfɛndə(ɹ)// noun

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

"defender" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“defender” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,954 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,954
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Someone who defends people or property.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

defender vs defense
75% similar
defender vs depended
75% similar
defender vs defend
75% similar

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

Key facts for defender
PropertyValue
Headworddefender
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈfɛndə(ɹ)/
Letters8
Frequency rank#5,954
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “defender” 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). defender lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for defender is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈfɛndə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,954 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for defender, with forms such as "ddefender", "deefnder", and "defedner". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "defense", "depended", "defend", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English defender, deffender, defendere, defendour, defendoure, partly from Anglo-Norman defendour, from Old French defendëor; partly from Middle English defenden + -ere, equivalent to defend + -er. The correct English form is defender, spelled D-E-F-E-N-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who defends people or property.
  2. 2
    One of the players whose primary task is to prevent the opposition from scoring.
  3. 3
    A fighter who seeks to repel an attack.
  4. 4
    A lawyer who represents defendants, especially a public defender; a defense attorney (US) or defence counsel (UK).
  5. 5
    A defendant in a civil action.

Etymology

From Middle English defender, deffender, defendere, defendour, defendoure, partly from Anglo-Norman defendour, from Old French defendëor; partly from Middle English defenden + -ere, equivalent to defend + -er.

This word in other languages

defensor(Español)défenseur(Français)Verteidiger(Deutsch)defensor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddefender,deefnder,defedner,defendder,defenderr,defendre,defenedr,defennder,deffender,defneder,dfeender,edfender

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of defender - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ddefender1deefnder2defedner2defendder1defenderr1defendre2defenedr2defennder1
Edit distance from "defender"

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 "defender"?
"defender" is spelled D-E-F-E-N-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈfɛndə(ɹ)/.
What does "defender" mean?
As a noun, "defender" means: Someone who defends people or property.
What words are commonly confused with "defender"?
"defender" is commonly confused with "defense", "depended", "defend". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "defender"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "defender" is /dɪˈfɛndə(ɹ)/. 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 "defender"?
From Middle English defender, deffender, defendere, defendour, defendoure, partly from Anglo-Norman defendour, from Old French defendëor; partly from Middle English defenden + -ere, equivalent to defend + -er. 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.

Using “defender”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-F-E-N-D-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪˈfɛndə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “defense” - see the side-by-side comparison. defender vs defense
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list