Which to use
“détruire” and “détruis” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,774
- “détruire” frequency rank
- #42,847
- “détruis” frequency rank
- 45621
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | détruire | détruis |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Démolir, ruiner, en parlant d'un édifice, d'une construction. | Première personne du singulier de l’indicatif présent de détruire. |
Where the eye mixes détruire and détruis
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses détruire with détruis
A purely visual mix-up. détruire (\de.tʁɥiʁ\) and détruis (\de.tʁɥi\) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45621, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
détruire is recorded at frequency rank #2,774, classified as averb, pronounced \de.tʁɥiʁ\. détruis is at rank #42,847, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.tʁɥi\.
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 45621, this pair ranks #201,319 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of détruire vs détruis
Shared letters: dirtué. Private to "détruire": e. Private to "détruis": s.
"détruire" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVVCV · "détruis" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "détruire" and "détruis" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "détruire" or "détruis"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "détruire" and "détruis" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "détruire" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "détruis" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #201,319 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "détruire" and "détruis" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "détruis vs détruise". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #201,319 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.