Which to use
“défaits” and “défunts” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #32,789
- “défaits” frequency rank
- #22,833
- “défunts” frequency rank
- 55622
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défaits | défunts |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Masculin pluriel de défait. | Masculin pluriel de défunt. |
Where the eye mixes défaits and défunts
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. défaits (CVCVVCC) and défunts (CVCVCCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses défaits with défunts
A purely visual mix-up. défaits (\de.fɛ\) and défunts (\de.fœ̃\) 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 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 55622, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défaits is recorded at frequency rank #32,789, classified as anadj, pronounced \de.fɛ\. défunts is at rank #22,833, tagged as anadj, pronounced \de.fœ̃\.
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 55622, this pair ranks #126,284 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défaits vs défunts
Shared letters: dfsté. Private to "défaits": ai. Private to "défunts": nu.
"défaits" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCC · "défunts" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "défaits" and "défunts" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "défaits" vs "défunts" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "défaits" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défunts" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #126,284 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défaits" and "défunts" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "décents vs défunts". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #126,284 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.