Which to use
“détestent” and “détestes” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,759
- “détestent” frequency rank
- #26,343
- “détestes” frequency rank
- 38102
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | détestent | détestes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Troisième personne du pluriel du présent de l’indicatif de détester. | Deuxième personne du singulier du présent de l’indicatif de détester. |
Same sound, different letters: détestent vs détestes
Muted letters are shared; highlighted letters are the only spelling cue when pronunciation matches. Shared run: 7 letters. détestent runs 9 letters (CVCVCCVCC) against détestes's 8 (CVCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Same sound, different spelling - détestent / détestes
This is the hard kind. détestent and détestes are pronounced identically (\de.tɛst\) and both work as averb. 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38102, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
détestent is recorded at frequency rank #11,759, classified as averb, pronounced \de.tɛst\. 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 38102, this pair ranks #257,665 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of détestent vs détestes
Shared letters: desté. Private to "détestent": n. Private to "détestes": -.
"détestent" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVCC · "détestes" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "détestent" for "détestes" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "détestent" or "détestes" show up more?
After this comparison
"détestent" and "détestes" share a sound, keep the gloss open, then jump to the headword or a nearby trap.
- Full dictionary entry for "détestent" 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 #257,665 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "détestent" and "détestes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "détestée vs détestes". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #257,665 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.