Which to use
“défenses” is a noun and “denses” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #11,569
- “défenses” frequency rank
- #18,166
- “denses” frequency rank
- 29735
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défenses | denses |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de défense. | Pluriel de dense. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set défenses and denses apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: défenses is \de.fɑ̃s\ while denses is \dɑ̃s\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29735, 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\. denses is at rank #18,166, tagged as anadj, pronounced \dɑ̃s\.
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 29735, this pair ranks #314,844 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défenses vs denses
Shared letters: dens. Private to "défenses": fé. Private to "denses": -.
"défenses" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "denses" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- denses ← ddenses · deness · dennses · densess · densses · desnes · dneses · ednses
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "défenses" and "denses" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "défenses" or "denses"?
Remembering défenses vs denses
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “défenses”; for an adjective, it's “denses”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “défenses” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable