Which to use
“défensive” is a noun and “défensives” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #11,392
- “défensive” frequency rank
- #25,626
- “défensives” frequency rank
- 37018
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défensive | défensives |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Disposition à se défendre, à ne faire simplement que se défendre. | Féminin pluriel de défensif. |
Same sound, different letters: défensive vs défensives
Muted letters are shared; highlighted letters are the only spelling cue when pronunciation matches. Shared run: 9 letters. défensive runs 9 letters (CVCVCCVCV) against défensives's 10 (CVCVCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Same sound, different spelling - défensive / défensives
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: défensive and défensives carry the same recorded pronunciation, \de.fɑ̃.siv\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anoun, the other anadjective, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “défensive” sits inside “défensives”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37018, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défensive is recorded at frequency rank #11,392, classified as anoun, pronounced \de.fɑ̃.siv\. défensives is at rank #25,626, tagged as anadj, 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 37018, this pair ranks #265,459 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défensive vs défensives
Shared letters: definsvé. Private to "défensive": -. Private to "défensives": -.
"défensive" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVCV · "défensives" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "défensive" and "défensives" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "défensive" vs "défensives" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
You've separated the homophone pair "défensive" / "défensives". Follow the links when you need the full entry or a neighbour that trips the same ear.
- Full dictionary entry for "défensive" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défensives" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #265,459 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défensive" and "défensives" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défensifs vs défensives". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #265,459 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.