Which to use
“défendez” is a verb and “défense” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #29,738
- “défendez” frequency rank
- #897
- “défense” frequency rank
- 30635
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défendez | défense |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Deuxième personne du pluriel de l’indicatif présent de défendre. | Action de défendre, de se défendre. |
Where the eye mixes défendez and défense
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. défendez runs 8 letters (CVCVCCVC) against défense's 7 (CVCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses défendez with défense
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: défendez is \de.fɑ̃.de\ while défense is \de.fɑ̃s\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30635, 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\. défense is at rank #897, 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 30635, this pair ranks #308,961 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défendez vs défense
Shared letters: defné. Private to "défendez": z. Private to "défense": s.
"défendez" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "défense" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "défendez" and "défense" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "défendez" vs "défense" - 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 "défendez" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défense" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #308,961 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défendez" and "défense" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "defender vs défendez". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #308,961 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.