Which to use
“défier” and “dévier” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,556
- “défier” frequency rank
- #22,248
- “dévier” frequency rank
- 34804
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défier | dévier |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Provoquer à une lutte, au duel. | Se détourner ; être détourné de sa direction. |
Where the eye mixes défier and dévier
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between défier and dévier
A purely visual mix-up. défier (\de.fje\) and dévier (\de.vje\) 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 “défier” becomes v in “dévier”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34804, 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\. dévier is at rank #22,248, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.vje\.
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 34804, this pair ranks #281,248 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défier vs dévier
Shared letters: deiré. Private to "défier": f. Private to "dévier": v.
"défier" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "dévier" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défier" for "dévier" ever safe?
Frequency check: "défier" vs "dévier" - 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 "défier" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "dévier" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #281,248 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défier" and "dévier" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "dévier vs devins". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #281,248 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.