Which to use
“défaite” and “défaut” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,121
- “défaite” frequency rank
- #1,950
- “défaut” frequency rank
- 4071
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défaite | défaut |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Déroute d’une armée ou de quelques troupes. | Imperfection physique. |
Where the eye mixes défaite and défaut
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. défaite runs 7 letters (CVCVVCV) against défaut's 6 (CVCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: défaite vs défaut
A purely visual mix-up. défaite (\de.fɛt\) and défaut (\de.fo\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4071, 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\. défaut is at rank #1,950, tagged as anoun, pronounced \de.fo\.
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 4071, this pair ranks #432,539 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défaite vs défaut
Shared letters: adfté. Private to "défaite": ei. Private to "défaut": u.
"défaite" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV · "défaut" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défaite" for "défaut" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "défaite" or "défaut" show up more?
After this comparison
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 "défaut" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #432,539 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défaite" and "défaut" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défaut vs Devaux". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #432,539 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.