Which to use
“defender” and “défendre” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #44,412
- “defender” frequency rank
- #1,660
- “défendre” frequency rank
- 46072
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | defender | défendre |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Défendre. | Protéger, soutenir, quelqu'un ou quelque chose contre une attaque, une agression. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set defender and défendre apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. defender (\de.fenˈdeɾ\) and défendre (\de.fɑ̃dʁ\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46072, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
defender is recorded at frequency rank #44,412, classified as averb, pronounced \de.fenˈdeɾ\. défendre is at rank #1,660, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.fɑ̃dʁ\.
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 46072, this pair ranks #197,825 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of defender vs défendre
Shared letters: defnr. Private to "defender": -. Private to "défendre": é.
"defender" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "défendre" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- defender ← ddefender · deefnder · defedner · defendder · defenderr · defenedr · defennder · deffender
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "defender" and "défendre" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "defender" or "défendre"?
Remembering defender vs défendre
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “defender” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable