Which to use
“défense” and “détente” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #897
- “défense” frequency rank
- #8,103
- “détente” frequency rank
- 9000
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défense | détente |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Action de défendre, de se défendre. | Diminution progressive de la pression d’un gaz ou d’une vapeur qui augmente de volume, ou bien de la tension d’un ressort qui revient à son équilibre. |
Where the eye mixes défense and détente
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: défense vs détente
A purely visual mix-up. défense (\de.fɑ̃s\) and détente (\de.tɑ̃t\) 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 9000, 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\. détente is at rank #8,103, tagged as anoun, pronounced \de.tɑ̃t\.
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 9000, this pair ranks #418,141 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défense vs détente
Shared letters: dené. Private to "défense": fs. Private to "détente": t.
"défense" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "détente" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défense" for "détente" ever safe?
Frequency check: "défense" vs "détente" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "défense" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "détente" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #418,141 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défense" and "détente" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "décents vs détente". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #418,141 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.