Which to use
“debían” and “decían” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,091
- “debían” frequency rank
- #3,909
- “decían” frequency rank
- 9000
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | debían | decían |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de deber. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de decir. |
Where the eye mixes debían and decían
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: debían vs decían
A purely visual mix-up. debían ([d̪eˈβ̞iãn]) and decían ([d̪eˈsiãn]) 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 a single letter - b in “debían” becomes c in “decían”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9000, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
debían is recorded at frequency rank #5,091, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈβ̞iãn]. decían is at rank #3,909, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsiãn].
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 9000, this pair ranks #303,256 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of debían vs decían
Shared letters: adení. Private to "debían": b. Private to "decían": c.
"debían" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "decían" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "debían" and "decían" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "debían" or "decían"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "debían" and "decían" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "debían" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "decían" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #303,256 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "debían" and "decían" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "decae vs decían". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #303,256 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.