Which to use
“défiler” and “défouler” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,365
- “défiler” frequency rank
- #25,292
- “défouler” frequency rank
- 37657
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défiler | défouler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Détacher une chose du fil du cordon où elle était passée. | Donner les moyens de satisfaire son agressivité ou ses tensions. |
Where the eye mixes défiler and défouler
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. défiler runs 7 letters (CVCVCVC) against défouler's 8 (CVCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses défiler with défouler
A purely visual mix-up. défiler (\de.fi.le\) and défouler (\de.fu.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 37657, 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\. défouler is at rank #25,292, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.fu.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 37657, this pair ranks #260,907 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défiler vs défouler
Shared letters: deflré. Private to "défiler": i. Private to "défouler": ou.
"défiler" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "défouler" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défiler" for "défouler" ever safe?
Which is more common, "défiler" or "défouler"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "défiler" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défouler" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #260,907 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défiler" and "défouler" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défouler vs dérouter". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #260,907 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.