Which to use
“datent” and “détient” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,548
- “datent” frequency rank
- #7,432
- “détient” frequency rank
- 19980
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | datent | détient |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Troisième personne du pluriel de l’indicatif présent de dater. | Troisième personne du singulier de l’indicatif présent de détenir. |
Where the eye mixes datent and détient
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between datent and détient
A purely visual mix-up. datent (\dat\) and détient (\de.tjɛ̃\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 19980, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
datent is recorded at frequency rank #12,548, classified as averb, pronounced \dat\. détient is at rank #7,432, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.tjɛ̃\.
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 19980, this pair ranks #370,537 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of datent vs détient
Shared letters: dent. Private to "datent": a. Private to "détient": ié.
"datent" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC · "détient" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- datent ← adtent · daetnt · datennt · datentt · datetn · datnet · dattent · ddatent
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "datent" and "détient" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "datent" or "détient"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "datent" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "détient" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #370,537 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "datent" and "détient" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "datent vs dotant". 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 #370,537 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.