dvsdiWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: d is a character, di is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

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 spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set d and di apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

1 ch
d
2 ch
di

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

d and di form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “d” sits inside “di” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. 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.

Frequency comparison

d#262
di#912

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "d" and "di" be used interchangeably?
No, "d" and "di" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering d vs di

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a character, it's “d”; for a verb, it's “di”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “d” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list