debasvsdeberWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“debas” and “deber” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#29,580
“debas” frequency rank
#3,112
“deber” frequency rank
32692
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature debas deber
Definition Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de subjuntivo de deber. (seguido del infinitivo) Estar o verse obligado de hacer algo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set debas and deber apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
debas
5 ch
deber

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. debas ([ˈd̪eβ̞as]) and deber ([d̪eˈβ̞eɾ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32692, 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]. deber is at rank #3,112, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈβ̞eɾ].

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 32692, this pair ranks #200,684 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of debas vs deber

Shared letters: bde. Private to "debas": as. Private to "deber": r.

"debas" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "deber" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • debasdbeas · ddebas · deabs · debass · debbas · debsa · devas · edbas
  • deberdbeer · ddeber · debber · deberr · debre · deebr · dever · edber

Frequency comparison

debas#29,580
deber#3,112

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "debas" and "deber" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈd̪eβ̞as] versus [d̪eˈβ̞eɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "debas" or "deber"?
"deber" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,112 in our Spanish list, against #29,580 for "debas". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering debas vs deber

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “debas” 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