Which to use
“défendit” and “défendre” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #42,841
- “défendit” frequency rank
- #1,660
- “défendre” frequency rank
- 44501
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défendit | défendre |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Troisième personne du singulier du passé simple de défendre. | Protéger, soutenir, quelqu'un ou quelque chose contre une attaque, une agression. |
Where the eye mixes défendit and défendre
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. défendit (CVCVCCVC) and défendre (CVCVCCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: défendit vs défendre
A purely visual mix-up. défendit (\de.fɑ̃.di\) and défendre (\de.fɑ̃dʁ\) 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 44501, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défendit is recorded at frequency rank #42,841, classified as averb, pronounced \de.fɑ̃.di\. défendre is at rank #1,660, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.fɑ̃dʁ\.
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 44501, this pair ranks #210,009 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défendit vs défendre
Shared letters: defné. Private to "défendit": it. Private to "défendre": r.
"défendit" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "défendre" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "défendit" and "défendre" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "défendit" vs "défendre" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "défendit" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défendre" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #210,009 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défendit" and "défendre" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "defender vs défendit". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #210,009 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.