Which to use
“défoncé” is an adjective and “défoncer” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #13,773
- “défoncé” frequency rank
- #12,145
- “défoncer” frequency rank
- 25918
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défoncé | défoncer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Percé, troué, perforé. | Dégarnir de son fond. |
Same sound, different letters: défoncé vs défoncer
Muted letters are shared; highlighted letters are the only spelling cue when pronunciation matches. Shared run: 6 letters. défoncé runs 7 letters (CVCVCCV) against défoncer's 8 (CVCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Same sound, different spelling - défoncé / défoncer
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: défoncé and défoncer carry the same recorded pronunciation, \de.fɔ̃.se\. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anadjective, the other averb, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25918, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défoncé is recorded at frequency rank #13,773, classified as anadj, pronounced \de.fɔ̃.se\. défoncer is at rank #12,145, tagged as averb, pronounced \de.fɔ̃.se\.
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 25918, this pair ranks #338,134 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of défoncé vs défoncer
Shared letters: cdfnoé. Private to "défoncé": -. Private to "défoncer": er.
"défoncé" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "défoncer" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "défoncé" and "défoncer" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "défoncé" or "défoncer"?
After this comparison
You've separated the homophone pair "défoncé" / "défoncer". Follow the links when you need the full entry or a neighbour that trips the same ear.
- Full dictionary entry for "défoncé" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "défoncer" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #338,134 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défoncé" and "défoncer" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "défoncé vs défoule". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #338,134 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.