Which to use
“dabas” and “deba” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #34,042
- “dabas” frequency rank
- #5,944
- “deba” frequency rank
- 39986
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | dabas | deba |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de dar. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de deber. |
Where the eye mixes dabas and deba
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses dabas with deba
A purely visual mix-up. dabas ([ˈd̪aβ̞as]) and deba ([ˈd̪eβ̞a]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39986, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
dabas is recorded at frequency rank #34,042, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈd̪aβ̞as]. deba is at rank #5,944, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈd̪eβ̞a].
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 39986, this pair ranks #161,548 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of dabas vs deba
Shared letters: abd. Private to "dabas": s. Private to "deba": e.
"dabas" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "deba" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "dabas" for "deba" ever safe?
Which is more common, "dabas" or "deba"?
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 "dabas" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "deba" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #161,548 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "dabas" and "deba" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "dabas vs dimas". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #161,548 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.