Which to use
“détenues” is an adjective and “détestes” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #19,822
- “détenues” frequency rank
- #26,343
- “détestes” frequency rank
- 46165
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | détenues | détestes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Féminin pluriel de détenu. | Deuxième personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de détester. |
Where the eye mixes détenues and détestes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. détenues (CVCVCVVC) and détestes (CVCVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between détenues and détestes
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: détenues is \de.tə.ny\ while détestes is \de.tɛst\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46165, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
détenues is recorded at frequency rank #19,822, classified as anadj, pronounced \de.tə.ny\. détestes is at rank #26,343, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.tɛst\.
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 46165, this pair ranks #197,082 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of détenues vs détestes
Shared letters: desté. Private to "détenues": nu. Private to "détestes": -.
"détenues" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVVC · "détestes" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "détenues" for "détestes" ever safe?
Which is more common, "détenues" or "détestes"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "détenues" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "détestes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #197,082 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "détenues" and "détestes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "détestée vs détestes". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #197,082 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.