Which to use
“debí” is a verb and “dela” is a contraction - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,811
- “debí” frequency rank
- #20,645
- “dela” frequency rank
- 35456
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | debí | dela |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de deber. | Contracción de la preposición de y el artículo la |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set debí and dela 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 dela is /ˈde.la/. 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 35456, 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]. dela is at rank #20,645, tagged as acontraction, pronounced /ˈde.la/.
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 35456, this pair ranks #185,993 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of debí vs dela
Shared letters: de. Private to "debí": bí. Private to "dela": al.
"debí" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "dela" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- dela ← ddela · dlea · edla
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "debí" and "dela" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "debí" or "dela"?
Remembering debí vs dela
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “debí”; for a contraction, it's “dela”.
- 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