Which to use
“debéis” is a verb and “débil” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #25,210
- “debéis” frequency rank
- #3,397
- “débil” frequency rank
- 28607
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | debéis | débil |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del plural (vosotros, vosotras) del presente de indicativo de deber. | De poca fortaleza, que carece de fuerza física. |
Where the eye mixes debéis and débil
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses debéis with débil
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: debéis is [d̪eˈβ̞ejs] while débil is [ˈd̪eβ̞il]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28607, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
debéis is recorded at frequency rank #25,210, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈβ̞ejs]. débil is at rank #3,397, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈd̪eβ̞il].
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 28607, this pair ranks #221,174 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of debéis vs débil
Shared letters: bdié. Private to "debéis": es. Private to "débil": l.
"debéis" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "débil" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "debéis" for "débil" ever safe?
Frequency check: "debéis" vs "débil" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "debéis" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "débil" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #221,174 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "debéis" and "débil" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "debéis vs debías". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #221,174 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.