defect

/ˈdiːfɛkt/

//ˈdiːfɛkt// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"defect" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“defect” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,531. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,531
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A fault or malfunction.

Corpus desk

Index EN-defect · defect · English

defect · rank #11,531 · 9 variants · 17 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,531
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 17 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH decreasing

Nearest frequency peer: decreasing (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “defect”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “defect” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

defect vs deft
67% similar
defect vs defer
67% similar
defect vs direct
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for defect
PropertyValue
Headworddefect
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdiːfɛkt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#11,531
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “defect”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).defectlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “decreasing” (#11,530), “disastrous” (#11,532), “debating” (#11,529). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “defect” is #11,531. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around defect (IPA /ˈdiːfɛkt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,531 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for defect, with forms such as "ddefect", "deefct", and "defcet". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 17 confusable-pair relationships, "deft", "defer", "direct", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin defectus (“a failure, lack”), from deficere (“to fail, lack, literally 'undo'”), from past participle defectus, from de- (“of, from”) + facere (“to do”). The correct English form is defect, spelled D-E-F-E-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fault or malfunction.
  2. 2
    The quantity or amount by which anything falls short.
  3. 3
    A part by which a figure or quantity is wanting or deficient.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how defect appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. a defect in the ear or eye; a defect in timber or iron; a defect of memory or judgment
  2. Among boys little tenderness is shown to personal defects.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin defectus (“a failure, lack”), from deficere (“to fail, lack, literally 'undo'”), from past participle defectus, from de- (“of, from”) + facere (“to do”).

Synonyms

defectfaultflawimperfectionshortcomingdrawbackdeficiencyinadequacypeccadillosin

This word in other languages

falla(Español)défaut(Français)Fehler(Deutsch)defeito(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddefect
  • deefct
  • defcet
  • defecct
  • defectt
  • defetc
  • deffect
  • dfeect
  • edfect

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of defect - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ddefect1deefct2defcet2defecct1defectt1defetc2deffect1dfeect2
Edit distance from "defect"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "defect"?
"defect" is spelled D-E-F-E-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdiːfɛkt/.
What does "defect" mean?
As a noun, "defect" means: A fault or malfunction.
What words are commonly confused with "defect"?
"defect" is commonly confused with "deft", "defer", "direct". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "defect"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "defect" is /ˈdiːfɛkt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "defect"?
Borrowed from Latin defectus (“a failure, lack”), from deficere (“to fail, lack, literally 'undo'”), from past participle defectus, from de- (“of, from”) + facere (“to do”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "defect", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

danced#11,527faults#11,545breeds#11,513Gerard#11,549

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

drummer9 variantscourier9 variantsbounds9 variantsBengal9 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list