Which to use
“degli” is a preposition and “demi” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #45,845
- “degli” frequency rank
- #36,873
- “demi” frequency rank
- 82718
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | degli | demi |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Verschmelzung der Präposition di mit dem bestimmten Artikel gli | halb |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set degli and demi apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: degli is [ˈdeʎʎi] while demi is [də.mi]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (preposition vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 82718, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
degli is recorded at frequency rank #45,845, classified as aprep, pronounced [ˈdeʎʎi]. demi is at rank #36,873, tagged as anadj, pronounced [də.mi].
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 82718, this pair ranks #152,282 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of degli vs demi
Shared letters: dei. Private to "degli": gl. Private to "demi": m.
"degli" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "demi" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "degli" and "demi" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "degli" or "demi"?
Remembering degli vs demi
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a preposition, it's “degli”; for an adjective, it's “demi”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “degli” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable