Which to use
“défense” and “défenses” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #897
- “défense” frequency rank
- #11,569
- “défenses” frequency rank
- 12466
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défense | défenses |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Action de défendre, de se défendre. | Pluriel de défense. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set défense and défenses apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
This is the hard kind. défense and défenses are pronounced identically (\de.fɑ̃s\) and both work as anoun. Neither the ear nor the grammar will rescue you; only the meaning does, so the glosses below are the whole decision. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “défense” sits inside “défenses”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12466, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défense is recorded at frequency rank #897, classified as anoun, pronounced \de.fɑ̃s\. défenses is at rank #11,569, tagged as anoun, pronounced \de.fɑ̃s\.
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 12466, this pair ranks #405,152 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défense vs défenses
Shared letters: defnsé. Private to "défense": -. Private to "défenses": -.
"défense" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "défenses" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "défense" and "défenses" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "défense" or "défenses"?
Remembering défense vs défenses
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 “défense” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable