Which to use
“d” is a character and “di” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #262
- “d” frequency rank
- #912
- “di” frequency rank
- 1174
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | d | di |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Cuarta letra del alfabeto español. Su nombre es de. | Segunda persona del singular (tú) del imperativo afirmativo de decir. |
Where the eye mixes d and di
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses d with di
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: d is [d̪e] while di is [ˈd̪i]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “d” sits inside “di”, and the parts of speech differ too (character vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1174, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
d is recorded at frequency rank #262, classified as acharacter, pronounced [d̪e]. di is at rank #912, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈd̪i].
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 1174, this pair ranks #322,455 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of d vs di
Shared letters: d. Private to "d": -. Private to "di": i.
"d" · 1 letters · shape C · "di" · 2 letters · shape CV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "d" for "di" ever safe?
Frequency check: "d" vs "di" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "d" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "di" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #322,455 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "d" and "di" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "deli vs di". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #322,455 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.