défectionsvsdéjectionsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“défections” and “déjections” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#40,224
“défections” frequency rank
#38,766
“déjections” frequency rank
78990
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature défections déjections
Definition Pluriel de défection. Pluriel de déjection.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set défections and déjections apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
défections
10 ch
déjections

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. défections (\de.fɛk.sjɔ̃\) and déjections (\de.ʒɛk.sjɔ̃\) 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 a single letter - f in “défections” becomes j in “déjections”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 78990, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

défections is recorded at frequency rank #40,224, classified as anoun, pronounced \de.fɛk.sjɔ̃\. déjections is at rank #38,766, tagged as anoun, pronounced \de.ʒɛk.sjɔ̃\.

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 78990, this pair ranks #24,336 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of défections vs déjections

Shared letters: cdeinosté. Private to "défections": f. Private to "déjections": j.

"défections" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVVCC  ·  "déjections" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVVCC

Frequency comparison

défections#40,224
déjections#38,766

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "défections" and "déjections" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (\de.fɛk.sjɔ̃\ versus \de.ʒɛk.sjɔ̃\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "défections" or "déjections"?
"déjections" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #38,766 in our French list, against #40,224 for "défections". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering défections vs déjections

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “défections” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list