delivsdeuxWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#49,566
“deli” frequency rank
#46,494
“deux” frequency rank
96060
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature deli deux
Definition Delicioso. Dos.

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
deli
4 ch
deux

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: deli is [ˈd̪eli] 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 (adjective vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 96060, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

deli is recorded at frequency rank #49,566, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈd̪eli]. 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 96060, this pair ranks #399 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of deli vs deux

Shared letters: de. Private to "deli": il. Private to "deux": ux.

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

Known mistypes of this pair

  • deliddeli · delli · dlei
  • deuxddeux · deuxx · dexu · duex · edux

Frequency comparison

deli#49,566
deux#46,494

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "deli" and "deux" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "deli" is an adjective and "deux" a num, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "deli" or "deux"?
"deux" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #46,494 in our Spanish list, against #49,566 for "deli". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering deli vs deux

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “deli”; for a num, it's “deux”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “deli” 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