debéisvsdejéisWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#25,210
“debéis” frequency rank
#27,179
“dejéis” frequency rank
52389
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

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

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set debéis and dejéis apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
debéis
6 ch
dejéis

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. debéis ([d̪eˈβ̞ejs]) and dejéis ([d̪eˈxejs]) 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 a single letter - b in “debéis” becomes j in “dejéis”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52389, 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]. dejéis is at rank #27,179, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈxejs].

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 52389, this pair ranks #92,948 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of debéis vs dejéis

Shared letters: deisé. Private to "debéis": b. Private to "dejéis": j.

"debéis" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC  ·  "dejéis" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC

Frequency comparison

debéis#25,210
dejéis#27,179

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "debéis" and "dejéis" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪eˈβ̞ejs] versus [d̪eˈxejs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "debéis" or "dejéis"?
"debéis" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #25,210 in our Spanish list, against #27,179 for "dejéis". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering debéis vs dejéis

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