Which to use
“défendues” and “détenues” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #29,328
- “défendues” frequency rank
- #19,822
- “détenues” frequency rank
- 49150
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défendues | détenues |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Féminin pluriel de défendu. | Féminin pluriel de détenu. |
Where the eye mixes défendues and détenues
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. défendues runs 9 letters (CVCVCCVVC) against détenues's 8 (CVCVCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between défendues and détenues
A purely visual mix-up. défendues (\de.fɑ̃.dy\) and détenues (\de.tə.ny\) 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 49150, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défendues is recorded at frequency rank #29,328, classified as anadj, pronounced \de.fɑ̃.dy\. détenues is at rank #19,822, tagged as anadj, pronounced \de.tə.ny\.
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 49150, this pair ranks #173,050 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défendues vs détenues
Shared letters: densué. Private to "défendues": f. Private to "détenues": t.
"défendues" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVVC · "détenues" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défendues" for "détenues" ever safe?
Frequency check: "défendues" vs "détenues" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "défendues" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "détenues" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #173,050 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défendues" and "détenues" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défendues vs détendus". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #173,050 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.