self-défense
\sɛlf de.fɑ̃s\
The verdict
“self-défense” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency French
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Synonyme de autodéfense.
Corpus desk
Index FR-self-defense · self-défense · French
self-défense · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 12 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "S" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | self-défense |
| Language | French |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | \sɛlf de.fɑ̃s\ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Longue queue: rang de « self-défense » en français
Rare enough to double-check
self-défense is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \sɛlf de.fɑ̃s\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Synonyme de autodéfense.".
self-défense has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
This entry carries no recorded etymology, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is self-défense, spelled S-E-L-F---D-É-F-E-N-S-E.
Definition
- 1Synonyme de autodéfense.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how self-défense appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Le spectacle était si vulgaire qu’on était poussé à rire par une sorte de self-défense et même à sangloter de rire.
Ça tombe bien, les recherches que j’effectue pour un éventuel prochain film m’ont appris que le marché de la sécurité privée était en pleine expansion. Les cours de self-défense aussi.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.