Which to use
“debí” is a verb and “deje” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,811
- “debí” frequency rank
- #1,765
- “deje” frequency rank
- 16576
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | debí | deje |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de deber. | Parte del habla de una lengua que tiende hacia la manera local de hablarla en un lugar. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set debí and deje apart are highlighted. They share 2 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: debí is [d̪eˈβ̞i] while deje is [ˈd̪exe]. 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 noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16576, 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]. deje is at rank #1,765, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈd̪exe].
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 16576, this pair ranks #275,590 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of debí vs deje
Shared letters: de. Private to "debí": bí. Private to "deje": j.
"debí" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "deje" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- deje ← ddeje · deej · dejje · djee · edje
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "debí" and "deje" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "debí" or "deje"?
Remembering debí vs deje
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “debí”; for a noun, it's “deje”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “debí” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable