dabanvsdivánWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: daban is a verb, diván is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“daban” is a verb and “diván” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#5,298
“daban” frequency rank
#46,502
“diván” frequency rank
51800
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature daban diván
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de dar. Mueble similar a una cama o sofá ancho, típicamente sin respaldo ni apoyabrazos.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set daban and diván apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
daban
5 ch
diván

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: daban is [ˈd̪aβ̞ãn] while diván is [d̪iˈβ̞ãn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51800, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

daban is recorded at frequency rank #5,298, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈd̪aβ̞ãn]. diván is at rank #46,502, tagged as anoun, pronounced [d̪iˈβ̞ãn].

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 51800, this pair ranks #95,967 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of daban vs diván

Shared letters: dn. Private to "daban": ab. Private to "diván": ivá.

"daban" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "diván" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • dabanadban · daabn · dabann · dabban · dabna · davan · dbaan · ddaban

Frequency comparison

daban#5,298
diván#46,502

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "daban" and "diván" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "daban" is a verb and "diván" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "daban" or "diván"?
"daban" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,298 in our Spanish list, against #46,502 for "diván". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering daban vs diván

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “daban”; for a noun, it's “diván”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “daban” 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