Which to use
“défendus” and “détendu” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #27,784
- “défendus” frequency rank
- #19,527
- “détendu” frequency rank
- 47311
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défendus | détendu |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Masculin pluriel de défendu. | Lâche, non tendu. |
Where the eye mixes défendus and détendu
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. défendus runs 8 letters (CVCVCCVC) against détendu's 7 (CVCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between défendus and détendu
A purely visual mix-up. défendus (\de.fɑ̃.dy\) and détendu (\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 47311, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défendus is recorded at frequency rank #27,784, classified as anadj, pronounced \de.fɑ̃.dy\. détendu is at rank #19,527, 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 47311, this pair ranks #187,956 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défendus vs détendu
Shared letters: denué. Private to "défendus": fs. Private to "détendu": t.
"défendus" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "détendu" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "défendus" and "détendu" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "défendus" or "détendu"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "défendus" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "détendu" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #187,956 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défendus" and "détendu" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défendus vs détendus". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #187,956 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.