Which to use
“défaire” is a verb and “défaites” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #10,691
- “défaire” frequency rank
- #7,554
- “défaites” frequency rank
- 18245
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défaire | défaites |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Modifier l’état d’une chose de manière qu’elle ne soit plus ce qu’elle était. | Féminin pluriel de défait. |
Where the eye mixes défaire and défaites
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. défaire runs 7 letters (CVCVVCV) against défaites's 8 (CVCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses défaire with défaites
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: défaire is \de.fɛʁ\ while défaites is \de.fɛt\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18245, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défaire is recorded at frequency rank #10,691, classified as averb, pronounced \de.fɛʁ\. défaites is at rank #7,554, tagged as anadj, pronounced \de.fɛt\.
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 18245, this pair ranks #379,306 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défaire vs défaites
Shared letters: adefié. Private to "défaire": r. Private to "défaites": st.
"défaire" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV · "défaites" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défaire" for "défaites" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "défaire" or "défaites" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "défaire" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défaites" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #379,306 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défaire" and "défaites" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défaire vs délabré". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #379,306 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.