Which to use
“déteste” and “détestez” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,363
- “déteste” frequency rank
- #35,005
- “détestez” frequency rank
- 37368
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | déteste | détestez |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Première personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de détester. | Deuxième personne du pluriel du présent de l’indicatif de détester. |
Where the eye mixes déteste and détestez
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. déteste runs 7 letters (CVCVCCV) against détestez's 8 (CVCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: déteste vs détestez
A purely visual mix-up. déteste (\de.tɛst\) and détestez (\de.tɛs.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) - “déteste” sits inside “détestez”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37368, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
déteste is recorded at frequency rank #2,363, classified as averb, pronounced \de.tɛst\. détestez is at rank #35,005, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.tɛs.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 37368, this pair ranks #262,970 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of déteste vs détestez
Shared letters: desté. Private to "déteste": -. Private to "détestez": z.
"déteste" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "détestez" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "déteste" and "détestez" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "déteste" or "détestez"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "déteste" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "détestez" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #262,970 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "déteste" and "détestez" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "détestée vs détestez". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #262,970 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.