définisvsdéfinitWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: définis is a adjective, définit is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“définis” is an adjective and “définit” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#10,143
“définis” frequency rank
#5,970
“définit” frequency rank
16113
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature définis définit
Definition Masculin pluriel de défini. Troisième personne du singulier de l’indicatif présent du verbe définir.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set définis and définit apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
définis
7 ch
définit

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Say them out loud and nothing separates them: définis and définit carry the same recorded pronunciation, \de.fi.ni\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anadjective, the other averb, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by a single letter - s in “définis” becomes t in “définit”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16113, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

définis is recorded at frequency rank #10,143, classified as anadj, pronounced \de.fi.ni\. définit is at rank #5,970, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.fi.ni\.

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 16113, this pair ranks #389,333 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of définis vs définit

Shared letters: dfiné. Private to "définis": s. Private to "définit": t.

"définis" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "définit" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Frequency comparison

définis#10,143
définit#5,970

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "définis" and "définit" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "définis" is an adjective and "définit" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "définis" or "définit"?
"définit" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,970 in our French list, against #10,143 for "définis". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering définis vs définit

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “définis”; for a verb, it's “définit”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “définis” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list