Which to use
“défilés” and “défis” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,266
- “défilés” frequency rank
- #5,971
- “défis” frequency rank
- 25237
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défilés | défis |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pluriel de défilé. | Pluriel de défi. |
Where the eye mixes défilés and défis
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. défilés runs 7 letters (CVCVCVC) against défis's 5 (CVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses défilés with défis
A purely visual mix-up. défilés (\de.fi.le\) and défis (\de.fi\) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25237, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défilés is recorded at frequency rank #19,266, classified as anoun, pronounced \de.fi.le\. défis is at rank #5,971, tagged as anoun, pronounced \de.fi\.
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 25237, this pair ranks #341,994 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défilés vs défis
Shared letters: dfisé. Private to "défilés": l. Private to "défis": -.
"défilés" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "défis" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "défilés" for "défis" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "défilés" or "défis" show up more?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "défilés" and "défis" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "défilés" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défis" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #341,994 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défilés" and "défis" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défilés vs demies". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #341,994 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.