détenteurvsdétenteursWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#13,582
“détenteur” frequency rank
#15,364
“détenteurs” frequency rank
28946
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature détenteur détenteurs
Definition Celui qui détient, qui possède une chose. Pluriel de détenteur.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set détenteur and détenteurs apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
détenteur
10 ch
détenteurs

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

This is the hard kind. détenteur and détenteurs are pronounced identically (\de.tɑ̃.tœʁ\) and both work as anoun. Neither the ear nor the grammar will rescue you; only the meaning does, so the glosses below are the whole decision. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “détenteur” sits inside “détenteurs”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28946, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

détenteur is recorded at frequency rank #13,582, classified as anoun, pronounced \de.tɑ̃.tœʁ\. détenteurs is at rank #15,364, tagged as anoun, pronounced \de.tɑ̃.tœʁ\.

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 28946, this pair ranks #319,673 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of détenteur vs détenteurs

Shared letters: denrtué. Private to "détenteur": -. Private to "détenteurs": s.

"détenteur" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVVC  ·  "détenteurs" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVVCC

Frequency comparison

détenteur#13,582
détenteurs#15,364

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "détenteur" and "détenteurs" be used interchangeably?
No. They are pronounced the same (\de.tɑ̃.tœʁ\), which is exactly why they get swapped in writing, but the dictionary meanings above are different, and pronunciation is no guide here.
Which is more common, "détenteur" or "détenteurs"?
"détenteur" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,582 in our French list, against #15,364 for "détenteurs". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering détenteur vs détenteurs

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 “détenteur” 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