détachevsdétecteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“détache” and “détecte” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#14,665
“détache” frequency rank
#19,821
“détecte” frequency rank
34486
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature détache détecte
Definition Première personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de détacher. Première personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de détecter.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set détache and détecte apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
détache
7 ch
détecte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. détache (\de.taʃ\) and détecte (\de.tɛkt\) 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 34486, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

détache is recorded at frequency rank #14,665, classified as averb, pronounced \de.taʃ\. détecte is at rank #19,821, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.tɛkt\.

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 34486, this pair ranks #283,505 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of détache vs détecte

Shared letters: cdeté. Private to "détache": ah. Private to "détecte": -.

"détache" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV  ·  "détecte" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV

Frequency comparison

détache#14,665
détecte#19,821

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "détache" and "détecte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (\de.taʃ\ versus \de.tɛkt\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "détache" or "détecte"?
"détache" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,665 in our French list, against #19,821 for "détecte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering détache vs détecte

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “détache” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list