Which to use
“défier” and “défiler” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,556
- “défier” frequency rank
- #12,365
- “défiler” frequency rank
- 24921
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défier | défiler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Provoquer à une lutte, au duel. | Détacher une chose du fil du cordon où elle était passée. |
Where the eye mixes défier and défiler
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. défier runs 6 letters (CVCVVC) against défiler's 7 (CVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses défier with défiler
A purely visual mix-up. défier (\de.fje\) and défiler (\de.fi.le\) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24921, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défier is recorded at frequency rank #12,556, classified as averb, pronounced \de.fje\. défiler is at rank #12,365, tagged as averb, 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 24921, this pair ranks #343,808 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défier vs défiler
Shared letters: defiré. Private to "défier": -. Private to "défiler": l.
"défier" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "défiler" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "défier" and "défiler" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "défier" or "défiler"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "défier" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défiler" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #343,808 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défier" and "défiler" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défier vs déviée". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #343,808 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.