Which to use
“demasiado” is an adjective and “devastado” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #497
- “demasiado” frequency rank
- #31,315
- “devastado” frequency rank
- 31812
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | demasiado | devastado |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Excesivo, sobrado. | Participio de devastar (dejar en ruinas, asolar, arrasar). |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set demasiado and devastado apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: demasiado is [d̪emaˈsjað̞o] while devastado is [d̪eβ̞asˈt̪að̞o]. 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 verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31812, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
demasiado is recorded at frequency rank #497, classified as anadj, pronounced [d̪emaˈsjað̞o]. devastado is at rank #31,315, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eβ̞asˈt̪að̞o].
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 31812, this pair ranks #205,196 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of demasiado vs devastado
Shared letters: adeos. Private to "demasiado": im. Private to "devastado": tv.
"demasiado" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCVVCV · "devastado" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "demasiado" and "devastado" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "demasiado" or "devastado"?
Remembering demasiado vs devastado
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “demasiado”; for a verb, it's “devastado”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “demasiado” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable