Which to use
“défait” is an adjective and “défaite” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #11,757
- “défait” frequency rank
- #2,121
- “défaite” frequency rank
- 13878
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défait | défaite |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Qui est dénoué, déconstruit, mis dans un état inconvenable, désordonné. | Déroute d’une armée ou de quelques troupes. |
Where the eye mixes défait and défaite
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. défait runs 6 letters (CVCVVC) against défaite's 7 (CVCVVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses défait with défaite
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: défait is \de.fɛ\ while défaite is \de.fɛt\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “défait” sits inside “défaite”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13878, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défait is recorded at frequency rank #11,757, classified as anadj, pronounced \de.fɛ\. défaite is at rank #2,121, tagged as anoun, 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 13878, this pair ranks #399,168 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défait vs défaite
Shared letters: adfité. Private to "défait": -. Private to "défaite": e.
"défait" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "défaite" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "défait" and "défaite" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "défait" or "défaite"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "défait" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défaite" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #399,168 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défait" and "défaite" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "déduite vs défaite". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #399,168 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.