Which to use
“défilé” is a noun and “défiler” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,498
- “défilé” frequency rank
- #12,365
- “défiler” frequency rank
- 18863
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défilé | défiler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Passage étroit où il ne peut passer que peu de personnes de front. | Détacher une chose du fil du cordon où elle était passée. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set défilé and défiler apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: défilé and défiler carry the same recorded pronunciation, \de.fi.le\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anoun, the other averb, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18863, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défilé is recorded at frequency rank #6,498, classified as anoun, pronounced \de.fi.le\. 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 18863, this pair ranks #376,206 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défilé vs défiler
Shared letters: dfilé. Private to "défilé": -. Private to "défiler": er.
"défilé" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "défiler" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "défilé" and "défiler" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "défilé" or "défiler"?
Remembering défilé vs défiler
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “défilé”; for a verb, it's “défiler”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “défilé” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable