Which to use
“despejar” and “desvelar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,815
- “despejar” frequency rank
- #36,527
- “desvelar” frequency rank
- 53342
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | despejar | desvelar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Dejar un lugar vacío, retirar o suprimir obstáculos, problemas o amenazas. | Quitar o impedir el sueño, no dejar dormir. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set despejar and desvelar apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. despejar ([d̪espeˈxaɾ]) and desvelar ([d̪esβ̞eˈlaɾ]) 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 53342, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
despejar is recorded at frequency rank #16,815, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪espeˈxaɾ]. desvelar is at rank #36,527, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪esβ̞eˈlaɾ].
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 53342, this pair ranks #88,367 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of despejar vs desvelar
Shared letters: aders. Private to "despejar": jp. Private to "desvelar": lv.
"despejar" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "desvelar" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "despejar" and "desvelar" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "despejar" or "desvelar"?
Remembering despejar vs desvelar
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “despejar” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable