Which to use
“détendez” and “détendre” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #32,797
- “détendez” frequency rank
- #8,538
- “détendre” frequency rank
- 41335
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | détendez | détendre |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Deuxième personne du pluriel de l’indicatif présent de détendre. | Relâcher ce qui était tendu. |
Where the eye mixes détendez and détendre
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. détendez (CVCVCCVC) and détendre (CVCVCCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses détendez with détendre
A purely visual mix-up. détendez (\de.tɑ̃.de\) and détendre (\de.tɑ̃dʁ\) 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 41335, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
détendez is recorded at frequency rank #32,797, classified as averb, pronounced \de.tɑ̃.de\. détendre is at rank #8,538, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.tɑ̃dʁ\.
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 41335, this pair ranks #233,861 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of détendez vs détendre
Shared letters: denté. Private to "détendez": z. Private to "détendre": r.
"détendez" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "détendre" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "détendez" for "détendre" ever safe?
Frequency check: "détendez" vs "détendre" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "détendez" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "détendre" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #233,861 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "détendez" and "détendre" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "détendez vs détendus". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #233,861 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.