défaire

\de.fɛʁ\

/\de.fɛʁ\/ verb

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

The verdict

“défaire” has 10 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #10,691. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,691
frequency rank, French
404,891
“D” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Modifier l’état d’une chose de manière qu’elle ne soit plus ce qu’elle était.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

défaire vs défie
71% similar
défaire vs défilé
57% similar
défaire vs défait
71% similar

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

Key facts for défaire
PropertyValue
Headworddéfaire
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\de.fɛʁ\
Letters7
Frequency rank#10,691
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “défaire” sits in French frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). défaire lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around défaire (IPA \de.fɛʁ\), averb. Corpus frequency is #10,691 among 404,891 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 13 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for défaire, with forms such as "ddéfaire", "defaire", and "dféaire". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "défie", "défilé", "défait", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No documented word history exists for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is défaire, spelled D-É-F-A-I-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Modifier l’état d’une chose de manière qu’elle ne soit plus ce qu’elle était.
  2. 2
    Vider des effets qui s’y trouvent, en parlant de colis ou de paquets.
  3. 3
    Ôter, déboutonner, dénouer en parlant de vêtements.
  4. 4
    Revenir en arrière ; rebrousser chemin.
  5. 5
    Mettre en déroute.
  6. 6
    Faire perdre ; faire échouer.
  7. 7
    Annuler.
  8. 8
    Se délivrer, se débarrasser d’une personne ou d’une chose, en particulier d'un vêtement; se déshabiller.
  9. 9
    Congédier, licencier.
  10. 10
    Faire mourir.
  11. 11
    Se suicider.
  12. 12
    Aliéner, en parlant d’une chose ; en transporter le droit et la possession à un autre.
  13. 13
    Passer, s'écouler, se succéder.

This word in other languages

undo(English)deshacer(Español)wegmachen(Deutsch)desfazer(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddéfaire
  • defaire
  • dféaire
  • déafire
  • défaier
  • défairre
  • défarie
  • déffaire
  • défiare
  • édfaire

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of défaire - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ddéfaire1defaire1dféaire2déafire2défaier2défairre1défarie2déffaire1
Edit distance from "défaire"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "défaire"?
"défaire" is spelled D-É-F-A-I-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is \de.fɛʁ\.
What does "défaire" mean?
As a verb, "défaire" means: Modifier l’état d’une chose de manière qu’elle ne soit plus ce qu’elle était.
What words are commonly confused with "défaire"?
"défaire" is commonly confused with "défie", "défilé", "défait". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "défaire"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "défaire" is \de.fɛʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "défaire" come from?
"défaire" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

Using “défaire”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is D-É-F-A-I-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \de.fɛʁ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “défie” - see the side-by-side comparison. défaire vs défie
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Same frequency band

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list