Which to use
“détective” is a noun and “détectives” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,820
- “détective” frequency rank
- #29,751
- “détectives” frequency rank
- 39571
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | détective | détectives |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Agent de police employé à un service de recherches, dans les pays de langue anglaise. | Féminin pluriel de détectif. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set détective and détectives apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: détective and détectives carry the same recorded pronunciation, \de.tɛk.tiv\. 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) - “détective” sits inside “détectives”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39571, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
détective is recorded at frequency rank #9,820, classified as anoun, pronounced \de.tɛk.tiv\. détectives is at rank #29,751, tagged as anadj, pronounced \de.tɛk.tiv\.
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 39571, this pair ranks #246,977 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of détective vs détectives
Shared letters: cdeitvé. Private to "détective": -. Private to "détectives": s.
"détective" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVCV · "détectives" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "détective" and "détectives" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "détective" or "détectives"?
Remembering détective vs détectives
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “détective”; for an adjective, it's “détectives”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “détective” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable