Which to use
“définition” and “définitions” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,996
- “définition” frequency rank
- #10,144
- “définitions” frequency rank
- 12140
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | définition | définitions |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Formule par laquelle on définit une chose ; énoncé des attributs, des qualités qui la distinguent. | Pluriel de définition. |
Same sound, different letters: définition vs définitions
Muted letters are shared; highlighted letters are the only spelling cue when pronunciation matches. Shared run: 10 letters.
Homophone desk: définition vs définitions
This is the hard kind. définition and définitions are pronounced identically (\de.fi.ni.sjɔ̃\) and both work as anoun. Neither the ear nor the grammar will rescue you; only the meaning does, so the glosses below are the whole decision. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “définition” sits inside “définitions”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12140, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
définition is recorded at frequency rank #1,996, classified as anoun, pronounced \de.fi.ni.sjɔ̃\. définitions is at rank #10,144, tagged as anoun, pronounced \de.fi.ni.sjɔ̃\.
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 12140, this pair ranks #406,429 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of définition vs définitions
Shared letters: dfinoté. Private to "définition": -. Private to "définitions": s.
"définition" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCVCVVC · "définitions" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCVCVVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "définition" for "définitions" ever safe?
In ordinary French text, does "définition" or "définitions" show up more?
What to do next
"définition" and "définitions" share a sound, keep the gloss open, then jump to the headword or a nearby trap.
- Full dictionary entry for "définition" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "définitions" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #406,429 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "définition" and "définitions" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "définitions vs définitives". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #406,429 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.