Which to use
“debo” and “decí” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,845
- “debo” frequency rank
- #42,935
- “decí” frequency rank
- 44780
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | debo | decí |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de deber. | Segunda persona del singular (vos) del imperativo afirmativo de decir. |
Where the eye mixes debo and decí
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. debo and decí follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCV). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Visual trap between debo and decí
A purely visual mix-up. debo ([ˈd̪eβ̞o]) and decí ([d̪eˈsi]) 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 44780, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
debo is recorded at frequency rank #1,845, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈd̪eβ̞o]. decí is at rank #42,935, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsi].
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 44780, this pair ranks #135,164 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of debo vs decí
Shared letters: de. Private to "debo": bo. Private to "decí": cí.
"debo" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "decí" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- debo ← dbeo · ddebo · debbo · deob · devo · edbo
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "debo" and "decí" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "debo" or "decí" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "debo" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "decí" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #135,164 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "debo" and "decí" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "decí vs Deva". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #135,164 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.