Which to use
“défauts” is a noun and “défunts” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,124
- “défauts” frequency rank
- #22,833
- “défunts” frequency rank
- 27957
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défauts | défunts |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de défaut. | Masculin pluriel de défunt. |
Where the eye mixes défauts and défunts
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. défauts (CVCVVCC) and défunts (CVCVCCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between défauts and défunts
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: défauts is \de.fo\ while défunts is \de.fœ̃\. 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 27957, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défauts is recorded at frequency rank #5,124, classified as anoun, pronounced \de.fo\. 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 27957, this pair ranks #325,746 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défauts vs défunts
Shared letters: dfstué. Private to "défauts": a. Private to "défunts": n.
"défauts" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCC · "défunts" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "défauts" and "défunts" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "défauts" vs "défunts" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "défauts" 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 #325,746 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défauts" and "défunts" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "décents vs défunts". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #325,746 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.