Which to use
“défense” and “défensive” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #897
- “défense” frequency rank
- #11,392
- “défensive” frequency rank
- 12289
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défense | défensive |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Action de défendre, de se défendre. | Disposition à se défendre, à ne faire simplement que se défendre. |
Where the eye mixes défense and défensive
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. défense runs 7 letters (CVCVCCV) against défensive's 9 (CVCVCCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: défense vs défensive
A purely visual mix-up. défense (\de.fɑ̃s\) and défensive (\de.fɑ̃.siv\) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12289, 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\. défensive is at rank #11,392, tagged as anoun, pronounced \de.fɑ̃.siv\.
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 12289, this pair ranks #405,858 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défense vs défensive
Shared letters: defnsé. Private to "défense": -. Private to "défensive": iv.
"défense" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "défensive" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défense" for "défensive" ever safe?
Which is more common, "défense" or "défensive"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "défense" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défensive" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #405,858 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défense" and "défensive" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défense vs déversé". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #405,858 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.