# defect vs defector

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

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

### defector
*noun · IPA /dɪˈfɛktə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #45,875*
One who defects.

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