# defamation vs deformation

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### defamation
*noun · IPA /ˌdɛfəˈmeɪʃən/ · frequency rank #17,586*
The act of injuring another person's reputation by any slanderous communication, written or oral; the wrong of maliciously injuring the good name of another.

### deformation
*noun · IPA /ˌdɛfəˈmeɪʃən/ · frequency rank #23,510*
The act of deforming, or state of being deformed.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/defamation-vs-deformation