Which to use
“défiler” is a verb and “défilés” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #12,365
- “défiler” frequency rank
- #19,266
- “défilés” frequency rank
- 31631
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défiler | défilés |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Détacher une chose du fil du cordon où elle était passée. | Pluriel de défilé. |
Same sound, different letters: défiler vs défilés
Muted letters are shared; highlighted letters are the only spelling cue when pronunciation matches. Shared run: 5 letters. défiler and défilés follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCVCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Same sound, different spelling - défiler / défilés
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: défiler and défilés carry the same recorded pronunciation, \de.fi.le\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is averb, the other anoun, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31631, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défiler is recorded at frequency rank #12,365, classified as averb, pronounced \de.fi.le\. 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 31631, this pair ranks #302,596 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défiler vs défilés
Shared letters: dfilé. Private to "défiler": er. Private to "défilés": s.
"défiler" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "défilés" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défiler" for "défilés" ever safe?
Frequency check: "défiler" vs "défilés" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
You've separated the homophone pair "défiler" / "défilés". Follow the links when you need the full entry or a neighbour that trips the same ear.
- Full dictionary entry for "défiler" 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 #302,596 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défiler" and "défilés" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défilés vs demies". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #302,596 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.