différences vs différends, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#3,325
“différences” frequency rank: #16,855
“différends” frequency rank: 20180
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	différences	différends
Definition	Pluriel de différence.	Pluriel de différend.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set différences and différends apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch

différences

10 ch

différends

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. différences (\di.fe.ʁɑ̃s\) and différends (\di.fe.ʁɑ̃\) 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 20180, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

différences is recorded at frequency rank #3,325, classified as anoun, pronounced \di.fe.ʁɑ̃s\. différends is at rank #16,855, tagged as anoun, pronounced \di.fe.ʁɑ̃\.

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 20180, this pair ranks #369,574 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of différences vs différends

Shared letters: definrsé. Private to "différences": c. Private to "différends": -.

"différences" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVCVCCVC · "différends" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCVCCC

Frequency comparison

différences#3,325

différends#16,855

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "différences" and "différends" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently (\di.fe.ʁɑ̃s\ versus \di.fe.ʁɑ̃\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "différences" or "différends"?

"différences" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,325 in our French list, against #16,855 for "différends". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering différences vs différends

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 “différences” entry
Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable