Which to use
“défaite” and “densité” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,121
- “défaite” frequency rank
- #5,546
- “densité” frequency rank
- 7667
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défaite | densité |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Déroute d’une armée ou de quelques troupes. | Caractère de ce qui est dense. |
Where the eye mixes défaite and densité
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. défaite (CVCVVCV) and densité (CVCCVCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between défaite and densité
A purely visual mix-up. défaite (\de.fɛt\) and densité (\dɑ̃.si.te\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 4 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7667, 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\. densité is at rank #5,546, tagged as anoun, pronounced \dɑ̃.si.te\.
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 7667, this pair ranks #422,493 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défaite vs densité
Shared letters: deité. Private to "défaite": af. Private to "densité": ns.
"défaite" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV · "densité" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défaite" for "densité" ever safe?
Which is more common, "défaite" or "densité"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "défaite" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "densité" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #422,493 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défaite" and "densité" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "déduite vs densité". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #422,493 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.