Which to use
“defender” and “depender” are a confusable Portuguese pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,007
- “defender” frequency rank
- #5,405
- “depender” frequency rank
- 7412
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | defender | depender |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | proteger contra ataque de outros | estar na dependência de |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set defender and depender apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. defender (/dɨ.fẽ.ˈdeɾ/) and depender (/dɨ.pẽ.ˈdeɾ/) 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 a single letter - f in “defender” becomes p in “depender”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7412, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
defender is recorded at frequency rank #2,007, classified as averb, pronounced /dɨ.fẽ.ˈdeɾ/. depender is at rank #5,405, tagged as averb, pronounced /dɨ.pẽ.ˈdeɾ/.
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 7412, this pair ranks #66,726 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of defender vs depender
Shared letters: denr. Private to "defender": f. Private to "depender": p.
"defender" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "depender" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "defender" and "depender" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "defender" or "depender"?
Remembering defender vs depender
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 “defender” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable