Which to use
“debías” and “decís” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #44,095
- “debías” frequency rank
- #7,286
- “decís” frequency rank
- 51381
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | debías | decís |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de deber. | Segunda persona del singular (vos) del presente de indicativo de decir. |
Where the eye mixes debías and decís
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. debías runs 6 letters (CVCVVC) against decís's 5 (CVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses debías with decís
A purely visual mix-up. debías ([d̪eˈβ̞ias]) and decís ([d̪eˈsis]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51381, 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]. decís is at rank #7,286, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsis].
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 51381, this pair ranks #98,166 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of debías vs decís
Shared letters: desí. Private to "debías": ab. Private to "decís": c.
"debías" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "decís" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "debías" for "decís" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "debías" or "decís" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "debías" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "decís" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #98,166 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "debías" and "decís" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "debías vs Denia". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #98,166 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.