Which to use
“défendre” and “détendre” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,660
- “défendre” frequency rank
- #8,538
- “détendre” frequency rank
- 10198
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défendre | détendre |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Protéger, soutenir, quelqu'un ou quelque chose contre une attaque, une agression. | Relâcher ce qui était tendu. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set défendre and détendre apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
défendre and détendre form a confusable pair in the French index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - f in “défendre” becomes t in “détendre” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10198, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défendre is recorded at frequency rank #1,660, classified as averb, pronounced \de.fɑ̃dʁ\. détendre is at rank #8,538, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.tɑ̃dʁ\.
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 10198, this pair ranks #413,862 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "défendre" and "détendre" be used interchangeably?
Remembering défendre vs détendre
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 “défendre” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable