Which to use
“défaite” is a noun and “défaits” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,121
- “défaite” frequency rank
- #32,789
- “défaits” frequency rank
- 34910
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défaite | défaits |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Déroute d’une armée ou de quelques troupes. | Masculin pluriel de défait. |
Where the eye mixes défaite and défaits
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. défaite (CVCVVCV) and défaits (CVCVVCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses défaite with défaits
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: défaite is \de.fɛt\ while défaits is \de.fɛ\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - e in “défaite” becomes s in “défaits”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34910, 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\. 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 34910, this pair ranks #280,512 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défaite vs défaits
Shared letters: adfité. Private to "défaite": e. Private to "défaits": s.
"défaite" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV · "défaits" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défaite" for "défaits" ever safe?
Frequency check: "défaite" vs "défaits" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "défaite" 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 #280,512 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défaite" and "défaits" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défaits vs desdits". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #280,512 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.