Which to use
“debas” is a verb and “debates” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #29,580
- “debas” frequency rank
- #4,986
- “debates” frequency rank
- 34566
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | debas | debates |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de subjuntivo de deber. | Forma del plural de debate. |
Where the eye mixes debas and debates
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: debas vs debates
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: debas is [ˈd̪eβ̞as] while debates is [d̪eˈβ̞at̪es]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34566, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
debas is recorded at frequency rank #29,580, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈd̪eβ̞as]. debates is at rank #4,986, tagged as anoun, pronounced [d̪eˈβ̞at̪es].
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 34566, this pair ranks #190,728 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of debas vs debates
Shared letters: abdes. Private to "debas": -. Private to "debates": t.
"debas" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "debates" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "debas" for "debates" ever safe?
Which is more common, "debas" or "debates"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "debas" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "debates" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #190,728 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "debas" and "debates" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "debas vs Deva". 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 #190,728 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.