Which to use
“debí” and “debías” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #14,811
- “debí” frequency rank
- #44,095
- “debías” frequency rank
- 58906
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | debí | debías |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de deber. | Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de deber. |
Where the eye mixes debí and debías
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. debí runs 4 letters (CVCV) against debías's 6 (CVCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between debí and debías
A purely visual mix-up. debí ([d̪eˈβ̞i]) and debías ([d̪eˈβ̞ias]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “debí” sits inside “debías”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58906, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
debí is recorded at frequency rank #14,811, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈβ̞i]. debías is at rank #44,095, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈβ̞ias].
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 58906, this pair ranks #64,661 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of debí vs debías
Shared letters: bdeí. Private to "debí": -. Private to "debías": as.
"debí" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "debías" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "debí" and "debías" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "debí" vs "debías" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "debí" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "debías" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #64,661 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "debí" and "debías" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "debías vs Denia". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #64,661 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.