Which to use
“déesses” and “défenses” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #30,991
- “déesses” frequency rank
- #11,569
- “défenses” frequency rank
- 42560
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | déesses | défenses |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de déesse. | Pluriel de défense. |
Where the eye mixes déesses and défenses
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. déesses runs 7 letters (CVVCCVC) against défenses's 8 (CVCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between déesses and défenses
A purely visual mix-up. déesses (\de.ɛs\) and défenses (\de.fɑ̃s\) 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 42560, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
déesses is recorded at frequency rank #30,991, classified as anoun, pronounced \de.ɛs\. défenses is at rank #11,569, tagged as anoun, pronounced \de.fɑ̃s\.
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 42560, this pair ranks #224,666 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of déesses vs défenses
Shared letters: desé. Private to "déesses": -. Private to "défenses": fn.
"déesses" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC · "défenses" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "déesses" for "défenses" ever safe?
Frequency check: "déesses" vs "défenses" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "déesses" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défenses" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #224,666 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "déesses" and "défenses" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "déesses vs dépasses". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #224,666 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.