Which to use
“défunte” and “défunts” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #22,832
- “défunte” frequency rank
- #22,833
- “défunts” frequency rank
- 45665
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | défunte | défunts |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Féminin singulier de défunt. | Masculin pluriel de défunt. |
Where the eye mixes défunte and défunts
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. défunte (CVCVCCV) and défunts (CVCVCCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: défunte vs défunts
A purely visual mix-up. défunte (\de.fœ̃t\) 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 differ by a single letter - e in “défunte” becomes s in “défunts”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45665, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
défunte is recorded at frequency rank #22,832, classified as anadj, pronounced \de.fœ̃t\. 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 45665, this pair ranks #201,002 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of défunte vs défunts
Shared letters: dfntué. Private to "défunte": e. Private to "défunts": s.
"défunte" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "défunts" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "défunte" and "défunts" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "défunte" or "défunts"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "défunte" 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 #201,002 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "défunte" and "défunts" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "déduite vs défunte". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #201,002 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.