Which to use
“défaites” and “défaits” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,554
- “défaites” frequency rank
- #32,789
- “défaits” frequency rank
- 40343
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défaites | défaits |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Féminin pluriel de défait. | Masculin pluriel de défait. |
Where the eye mixes défaites and défaits
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. défaites runs 8 letters (CVCVVCVC) against défaits's 7 (CVCVVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: défaites vs défaits
A purely visual mix-up. défaites (\de.fɛt\) and défaits (\de.fɛ\) 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 40343, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défaites is recorded at frequency rank #7,554, classified as anadj, 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 40343, this pair ranks #241,244 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défaites vs défaits
Shared letters: adfisté. Private to "défaites": e. Private to "défaits": -.
"défaites" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC · "défaits" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défaites" for "défaits" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "défaites" or "défaits" show up more?
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 "défaites" 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 #241,244 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défaites" and "défaits" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défaits vs desdits". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #241,244 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.