détectevsdétectéeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#19,821
“détecte” frequency rank
#26,342
“détectée” frequency rank
46163
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature détecte détectée
Definition Première personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de détecter. Participe passé féminin singulier de détecter.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set détecte and détectée apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
détecte
8 ch
détectée

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. détecte (\de.tɛkt\) and détectée (\de.tɛk.te\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46163, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

détecte is recorded at frequency rank #19,821, classified as averb, pronounced \de.tɛkt\. détectée is at rank #26,342, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.tɛk.te\.

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 46163, this pair ranks #197,099 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of détecte vs détectée

Shared letters: cdeté. Private to "détecte": -. Private to "détectée": -.

"détecte" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV  ·  "détectée" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVV

Frequency comparison

détecte#19,821
détectée#26,342

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "détecte" and "détectée" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (\de.tɛkt\ versus \de.tɛk.te\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "détecte" or "détectée"?
"détecte" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,821 in our French list, against #26,342 for "détectée". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering détecte vs détectée

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 “détecte” 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