Which to use
“défaire” is a verb and “défaits” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #10,691
- “défaire” frequency rank
- #32,789
- “défaits” frequency rank
- 43480
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défaire | défaits |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Modifier l’état d’une chose de manière qu’elle ne soit plus ce qu’elle était. | Masculin pluriel de défait. |
Where the eye mixes défaire and défaits
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. défaire (CVCVVCV) and défaits (CVCVVCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: défaire vs défaits
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: défaire is \de.fɛʁ\ while défaits is \de.fɛ\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43480, 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\. défaits is at rank #32,789, tagged as anadj, pronounced \de.fɛ\.
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 43480, this pair ranks #217,761 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défaire vs défaits
Shared letters: adfié. Private to "défaire": er. Private to "défaits": st.
"défaire" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV · "défaits" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défaire" for "défaits" ever safe?
Which is more common, "défaire" or "défaits"?
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 "défaits" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #217,761 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défaire" and "défaits" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défaits vs desdits". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #217,761 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.