dejavsdeuxWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: deja is a verb, deux is a num, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“deja” is a verb and “deux” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#496
“deja” frequency rank
#46,494
“deux” frequency rank
46990
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature deja deux
Definition Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de dejar o de dejarse. Dos.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set deja and deux apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
deja
4 ch
deux

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: deja is [ˈd̪exa] while deux is /dø/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46990, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

deja is recorded at frequency rank #496, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈd̪exa]. deux is at rank #46,494, tagged as anum, pronounced /dø/.

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 46990, this pair ranks #122,616 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of deja vs deux

Shared letters: de. Private to "deja": aj. Private to "deux": ux.

"deja" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "deux" · 4 letters · shape CVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • dejaddeja · deaj · dejja · djea · edja
  • deuxddeux · deuxx · dexu · duex · edux

Frequency comparison

deja#496
deux#46,494

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "deja" and "deux" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "deja" is a verb and "deux" a num, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "deja" or "deux"?
"deja" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #496 in our Spanish list, against #46,494 for "deux". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering deja vs deux

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “deja”; for a num, it's “deux”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “deja” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list