Which to use
“debes” is a verb and “delos” is a contraction - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,504
- “debes” frequency rank
- #33,063
- “delos” frequency rank
- 34567
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | debes | delos |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de indicativo de deber. | Contracción de la preposición de y el artículo los |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set debes and delos apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: debes is [ˈd̪eβ̞es] while delos is /ˈde.los/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs contraction), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34567, 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]. delos is at rank #33,063, tagged as acontraction, pronounced /ˈde.los/.
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 34567, this pair ranks #190,721 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of debes vs delos
Shared letters: des. Private to "debes": b. Private to "delos": lo.
"debes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "delos" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "debes" and "delos" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "debes" or "delos"?
Remembering debes vs delos
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “debes”; for a contraction, it's “delos”.
- 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