Which to use
“défenses” is a noun and “défensif” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #11,569
- “défenses” frequency rank
- #12,954
- “défensif” frequency rank
- 24523
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défenses | défensif |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de défense. | Qui est fait pour la défense. |
Where the eye mixes défenses and défensif
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. défenses and défensif follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCVCCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Look-alike desk: défenses vs défensif
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: défenses is \de.fɑ̃s\ while défensif is \de.fɑ̃.sif\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24523, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défenses is recorded at frequency rank #11,569, classified as anoun, pronounced \de.fɑ̃s\. défensif is at rank #12,954, tagged as anadj, pronounced \de.fɑ̃.sif\.
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 24523, this pair ranks #346,132 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défenses vs défensif
Shared letters: defnsé. Private to "défenses": -. Private to "défensif": i.
"défenses" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "défensif" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "défenses" and "défensif" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "défenses" or "défensif"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "défenses" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défensif" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #346,132 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défenses" and "défensif" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "defender vs défenses". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #346,132 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.