Which to use
“défaite” is a noun and “défunte” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,121
- “défaite” frequency rank
- #22,832
- “défunte” frequency rank
- 24953
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défaite | défunte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Déroute d’une armée ou de quelques troupes. | Féminin singulier de défunt. |
Where the eye mixes défaite and défunte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. défaite (CVCVVCV) and défunte (CVCVCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between défaite and défunte
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: défaite is \de.fɛt\ while défunte is \de.fœ̃t\. 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 (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24953, 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\. défunte is at rank #22,832, tagged as anadj, pronounced \de.fœ̃t\.
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 24953, this pair ranks #343,600 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défaite vs défunte
Shared letters: defté. Private to "défaite": ai. Private to "défunte": nu.
"défaite" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV · "défunte" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "défaite" and "défunte" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "défaite" or "défunte"?
What to do next
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 "défunte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #343,600 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défaite" and "défunte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "déduite vs défunte". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #343,600 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.