Which to use
“défendus” and “détendue” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #27,784
- “défendus” frequency rank
- #27,419
- “détendue” frequency rank
- 55203
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défendus | détendue |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Masculin pluriel de défendu. | Féminin singulier de détendu. |
Where the eye mixes défendus and détendue
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. défendus (CVCVCCVC) and détendue (CVCVCCVV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: défendus vs détendue
A purely visual mix-up. défendus (\de.fɑ̃.dy\) and détendue (\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 share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 55203, 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\. détendue is at rank #27,419, 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 55203, this pair ranks #128,982 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défendus vs détendue
Shared letters: denué. Private to "défendus": fs. Private to "détendue": t.
"défendus" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "détendue" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défendus" for "détendue" ever safe?
Frequency check: "défendus" vs "détendue" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "défendus" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "détendue" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #128,982 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défendus" and "détendue" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défendus vs détendus". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #128,982 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.