Which to use
“defensa” is a noun and “densa” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #763
- “defensa” frequency rank
- #14,815
- “densa” frequency rank
- 15578
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | defensa | densa |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Acción o efecto de proteger algo contra una ofensiva o daño. | Forma del femenino singular de denso. |
Where the eye mixes defensa and densa
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: defensa vs densa
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: defensa is [d̪eˈfẽnsa] while densa is [ˈd̪ẽnsa]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15578, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
defensa is recorded at frequency rank #763, classified as anoun, pronounced [d̪eˈfẽnsa]. densa is at rank #14,815, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈd̪ẽnsa].
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 15578, this pair ranks #279,593 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of defensa vs densa
Shared letters: adens. Private to "defensa": f. Private to "densa": -.
"defensa" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "densa" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "defensa" and "densa" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "defensa" or "densa" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "defensa" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "densa" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #279,593 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "defensa" and "densa" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "densa vs Deva". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #279,593 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.