détruitvsdétruitesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,875
“détruit” frequency rank
#13,777
“détruites” frequency rank
16652
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature détruit détruites
Definition Participe passé masculin singulier de détruire. Participe passé féminin pluriel de détruire.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set détruit and détruites apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
détruit
9 ch
détruites

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. détruit (\de.tʁɥi\) and détruites (\de.tʁɥit\) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “détruit” sits inside “détruites”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16652, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

détruit is recorded at frequency rank #2,875, classified as averb, pronounced \de.tʁɥi\. détruites is at rank #13,777, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.tʁɥit\.

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 16652, this pair ranks #386,855 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of détruit vs détruites

Shared letters: dirtué. Private to "détruit": -. Private to "détruites": es.

"détruit" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC  ·  "détruites" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVVCVC

Frequency comparison

détruit#2,875
détruites#13,777

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "détruit" and "détruites" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (\de.tʁɥi\ versus \de.tʁɥit\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "détruit" or "détruites"?
"détruit" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,875 in our French list, against #13,777 for "détruites". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering détruit vs détruites

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 “détruit” 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