Which to use
“despacio” is an adverb and “destaco” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #8,941
- “despacio” frequency rank
- #38,642
- “destaco” frequency rank
- 47583
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | despacio | destaco |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Que procede lentamente. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de destacar. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set despacio and destaco apart are highlighted. They share 6 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: despacio is [d̪esˈpasjo] while destaco is [d̪esˈt̪ako]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47583, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
despacio is recorded at frequency rank #8,941, classified as anadv, pronounced [d̪esˈpasjo]. destaco is at rank #38,642, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪esˈt̪ako].
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 47583, this pair ranks #119,255 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of despacio vs destaco
Shared letters: acdeos. Private to "despacio": ip. Private to "destaco": t.
"despacio" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVV · "destaco" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "despacio" and "destaco" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "despacio" or "destaco"?
Remembering despacio vs destaco
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “despacio”; for a verb, it's “destaco”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “despacio” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable