Which to use
“défendez” and “défends” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #29,738
- “défendez” frequency rank
- #13,577
- “défends” frequency rank
- 43315
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défendez | défends |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Deuxième personne du pluriel de l’indicatif présent de défendre. | Première personne de l’indicatif présent du verbe défendre. |
Where the eye mixes défendez and défends
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. défendez runs 8 letters (CVCVCCVC) against défends's 7 (CVCVCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between défendez and défends
A purely visual mix-up. défendez (\de.fɑ̃.de\) and défends (\de.fɑ̃\) 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 43315, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défendez is recorded at frequency rank #29,738, classified as averb, pronounced \de.fɑ̃.de\. défends is at rank #13,577, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.fɑ̃\.
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 43315, this pair ranks #219,020 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défendez vs défends
Shared letters: defné. Private to "défendez": z. Private to "défends": s.
"défendez" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "défends" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défendez" for "défends" ever safe?
Which is more common, "défendez" or "défends"?
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 "défendez" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défends" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #219,020 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défendez" and "défends" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "defender vs défendez". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #219,020 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.