Which to use
“déceler” and “défiler” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #18,721
- “déceler” frequency rank
- #12,365
- “défiler” frequency rank
- 31086
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | déceler | défiler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Dévoiler ce que quelqu’un cache intentionnellement. | Détacher une chose du fil du cordon où elle était passée. |
Where the eye mixes déceler and défiler
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: déceler vs défiler
A purely visual mix-up. déceler (\de.s(ə.)le\) and défiler (\de.fi.le\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31086, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
déceler is recorded at frequency rank #18,721, classified as averb, pronounced \de.s(ə.)le\. défiler is at rank #12,365, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.fi.le\.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 31086, this pair ranks #306,070 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of déceler vs défiler
Shared letters: delré. Private to "déceler": c. Private to "défiler": fi.
"déceler" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "défiler" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "déceler" for "défiler" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "déceler" or "défiler" show up more?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "déceler" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défiler" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #306,070 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "déceler" and "défiler" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "décèle vs déceler". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #306,070 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.