Which to use
“défendu” and “détendus” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,290
- “défendu” frequency rank
- #49,621
- “détendus” frequency rank
- 55911
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défendu | détendus |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Interdit, prohibé. | Masculin pluriel de détendu. |
Where the eye mixes défendu and détendus
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. défendu runs 7 letters (CVCVCCV) against détendus's 8 (CVCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses défendu with détendus
A purely visual mix-up. défendu (\de.fɑ̃.dy\) and détendus (\de.tɑ̃.dy\) 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 55911, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défendu is recorded at frequency rank #6,290, classified as anadj, pronounced \de.fɑ̃.dy\. détendus is at rank #49,621, tagged as anadj, pronounced \de.tɑ̃.dy\.
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 55911, this pair ranks #124,412 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défendu vs détendus
Shared letters: denué. Private to "défendu": f. Private to "détendus": st.
"défendu" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "détendus" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "défendu" and "détendus" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "défendu" vs "détendus" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "défendu" and "détendus" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "défendu" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "détendus" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #124,412 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défendu" and "détendus" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "détends vs détendus". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #124,412 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.