Which to use
“depend” is a verb and “détendu” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #26,692
- “depend” frequency rank
- #19,527
- “détendu” frequency rank
- 46219
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | depend | détendu |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (Suivi de on ou de upon, et plus anciennement de of) Dépendre (de). | Lâche, non tendu. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set depend and détendu apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: depend is \dɪˈpɛnd\ while détendu is \de.tɑ̃.dy\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46219, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
depend is recorded at frequency rank #26,692, classified as averb, pronounced \dɪˈpɛnd\. détendu is at rank #19,527, tagged as anadj, pronounced \de.tɑ̃.dy\.
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 46219, this pair ranks #196,662 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of depend vs détendu
Shared letters: den. Private to "depend": p. Private to "détendu": tué.
"depend" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC · "détendu" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- depend ← ddepend · deepnd · depedn · dependd · depennd · depned · deppend · dpeend
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "depend" and "détendu" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "depend" or "détendu"?
Remembering depend vs détendu
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “depend”; for an adjective, it's “détendu”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “depend” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable