définisvsdéfuntsTell them apart

Which to use

“définis” and “défunts” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#10,143
“définis” frequency rank
#22,833
“défunts” frequency rank
32976
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature définis défunts
Definition Masculin pluriel de défini. Masculin pluriel de défunt.

Where the eye mixes définis and défunts

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. définis (CVCVCVC) and défunts (CVCVCCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.

7 ch
définis
7 ch
défunts

Look-alike desk: définis vs défunts

A purely visual mix-up. définis (\de.fi.ni\) and défunts (\de.fœ̃\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32976, 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\. défunts is at rank #22,833, tagged as anadj, pronounced \de.fœ̃\.

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 32976, this pair ranks #293,697 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of définis vs défunts

Shared letters: dfnsé. Private to "définis": i. Private to "défunts": tu.

"définis" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "défunts" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "définis" and "défunts" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently (\de.fi.ni\ versus \de.fœ̃\) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
In ordinary French text, does "définis" or "défunts" show up more?
"définis" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,143 in our French list, against #22,833 for "défunts". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "définis" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "défunts" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #293,697 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "définis" and "défunts" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "décents vs défunts". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #293,697 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list