Which to use
“défier” is a verb and “défilés” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #12,556
- “défier” frequency rank
- #19,266
- “défilés” frequency rank
- 31822
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défier | défilés |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Provoquer à une lutte, au duel. | Pluriel de défilé. |
Where the eye mixes défier and défilés
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. défier runs 6 letters (CVCVVC) against défilés's 7 (CVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: défier vs défilés
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: défier is \de.fje\ while défilés is \de.fi.le\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31822, 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\. défilés is at rank #19,266, tagged as anoun, 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 31822, this pair ranks #301,336 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défier vs défilés
Shared letters: dfié. Private to "défier": er. Private to "défilés": ls.
"défier" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "défilés" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "défier" and "défilés" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "défier" or "défilés"?
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 "défier" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défilés" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #301,336 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défier" and "défilés" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défilés vs demies". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #301,336 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.