Which to use
“debes” is a verb and “débil” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,504
- “debes” frequency rank
- #3,397
- “débil” frequency rank
- 4901
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | debes | débil |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de indicativo de deber. | De poca fortaleza, que carece de fuerza física. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set debes and débil apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
debes and débil form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4901, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
debes is recorded at frequency rank #1,504, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈd̪eβ̞es]. 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 4901, this pair ranks #314,970 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "debes" and "débil" be used interchangeably?
Remembering debes vs débil
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “debes”; for an adjective, it's “débil”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “debes” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable