Which to use
“défaites” is an adjective and “défilés” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #7,554
- “défaites” frequency rank
- #19,266
- “défilés” frequency rank
- 26820
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défaites | défilés |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Féminin pluriel de défait. | Pluriel de défilé. |
Where the eye mixes défaites and défilés
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. défaites runs 8 letters (CVCVVCVC) against défilés's 7 (CVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between défaites and défilés
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: défaites is \de.fɛt\ while défilés is \de.fi.le\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26820, 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\. défilés is at rank #19,266, tagged as anoun, pronounced \de.fi.le\.
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 26820, this pair ranks #332,667 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défaites vs défilés
Shared letters: dfisé. Private to "défaites": aet. Private to "défilés": l.
"défaites" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC · "défilés" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "défaites" and "défilés" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "défaites" vs "défilés" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "défaites" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défilés" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #332,667 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défaites" and "défilés" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défilés vs demies". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #332,667 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.