# defect vs defend

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

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

### defend
*verb · IPA /dɪˈfɛnd/ · frequency rank #3,159*
To ward off attacks against; to fight to protect; to guard.

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