debéisvsdejáisWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#25,210
“debéis” frequency rank
#40,748
“dejáis” frequency rank
65958
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature debéis dejáis
Definition Segunda persona del plural (vosotros, vosotras) del presente de indicativo de deber. Segunda persona del plural (vosotros, vosotras) del presente de indicativo de dejar o de dejarse.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set debéis and dejáis apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
debéis
6 ch
dejáis

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. debéis ([d̪eˈβ̞ejs]) and dejáis ([d̪eˈxajs]) 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 65958, 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]. dejáis is at rank #40,748, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈxajs].

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 65958, this pair ranks #41,165 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of debéis vs dejáis

Shared letters: deis. Private to "debéis": . Private to "dejáis": .

"debéis" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC  ·  "dejáis" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC

Frequency comparison

debéis#25,210
dejáis#40,748

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "debéis" and "dejáis" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪eˈβ̞ejs] versus [d̪eˈxajs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "debéis" or "dejáis"?
"debéis" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #25,210 in our Spanish list, against #40,748 for "dejáis". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering debéis vs dejáis

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 “debéis” 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