détectevsdétecterWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#19,821
“détecte” frequency rank
#8,698
“détecter” frequency rank
28519
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature détecte détecter
Definition Première personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de détecter. Se rendre compte de ; déceler ; trouver, en parlant de quelque chose qui n'était pas évident.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
détecte
8 ch
détecter

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. détecte (\de.tɛkt\) and détecter (\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 extra letter(s) - “détecte” sits inside “détecter”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28519, 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\. détecter is at rank #8,698, 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 28519, this pair ranks #322,278 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of détecte vs détecter

Shared letters: cdeté. Private to "détecte": -. Private to "détecter": r.

"détecte" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV  ·  "détecter" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC

Frequency comparison

détecte#19,821
détecter#8,698

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "détecte" and "détecter" 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 "détecter"?
"détecter" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,698 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 détecte vs détecter

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