Which to use
“défaite” is a noun and “défaites” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,121
- “défaite” frequency rank
- #7,554
- “défaites” frequency rank
- 9675
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défaite | défaites |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Déroute d’une armée ou de quelques troupes. | Féminin pluriel de défait. |
Same sound, different letters: défaite vs défaites
Muted letters are shared; highlighted letters are the only spelling cue when pronunciation matches. Shared run: 7 letters. défaite 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.
Same sound, different spelling - défaite / défaites
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: défaite and défaites carry the same recorded pronunciation, \de.fɛt\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anoun, the other anadjective, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “défaite” sits inside “défaites”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9675, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défaite is recorded at frequency rank #2,121, classified as anoun, pronounced \de.fɛt\. 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 9675, this pair ranks #415,829 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défaite vs défaites
Shared letters: adefité. Private to "défaite": -. Private to "défaites": s.
"défaite" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV · "défaites" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "défaite" and "défaites" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "défaite" or "défaites"?
Useful next steps
You've separated the homophone pair "défaite" / "défaites". Follow the links when you need the full entry or a neighbour that trips the same ear.
- Full dictionary entry for "défaite" 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 #415,829 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défaite" and "défaites" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "déduite vs défaite". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #415,829 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.