Which to use
“debías” and “decías” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #44,095
- “debías” frequency rank
- #15,066
- “decías” frequency rank
- 59161
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | debías | decías |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de deber. | Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de decir. |
Where the eye mixes debías and decías
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. debías and decías follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCVVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses debías with decías
A purely visual mix-up. debías ([d̪eˈβ̞ias]) and decías ([d̪eˈsias]) 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 “debías” becomes c in “decías”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59161, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
debías is recorded at frequency rank #44,095, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈβ̞ias]. decías is at rank #15,066, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsias].
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 59161, this pair ranks #63,697 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of debías vs decías
Shared letters: adesí. Private to "debías": b. Private to "decías": c.
"debías" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "decías" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "debías" and "decías" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "debías" or "decías"?
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 "debías" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "decías" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #63,697 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "debías" and "decías" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "debías vs Denia". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #63,697 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.