Which to use
“débil” and “dócil” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,397
- “débil” frequency rank
- #35,006
- “dócil” frequency rank
- 38403
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | débil | dócil |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | De poca fortaleza, que carece de fuerza física. | Suave, blando. |
Where the eye mixes débil and dócil
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: débil vs dócil
A purely visual mix-up. débil ([ˈd̪eβ̞il]) and dócil ([ˈd̪osil]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38403, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
débil is recorded at frequency rank #3,397, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈd̪eβ̞il]. dócil is at rank #35,006, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈd̪osil].
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 38403, this pair ranks #170,218 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of débil vs dócil
Shared letters: dil. Private to "débil": bé. Private to "dócil": có.
"débil" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "dócil" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "débil" and "dócil" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "débil" vs "dócil" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "débil" and "dócil" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "débil" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "dócil" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #170,218 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "débil" and "dócil" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "dócil vs dóciles". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #170,218 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.