# defeat vs defect

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### defeat
*verb · IPA /dɪˈfiːt/ · frequency rank #2,939*
To overcome in battle or contest.

### defect
*noun · IPA /ˈdiːfɛkt/ · frequency rank #11,531*
A fault or malfunction.

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