diesevsdueleWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“diese” and “duele” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#26,003
“diese” frequency rank
#2,878
“duele” frequency rank
28881
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature diese duele
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo de dar o de darse. Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de dolar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set diese and duele apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
diese
5 ch
duele

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. diese ([ˈd̪jese]) and duele ([ˈd̪wele]) 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 28881, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

diese is recorded at frequency rank #26,003, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈd̪jese]. duele is at rank #2,878, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈd̪wele].

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 28881, this pair ranks #219,750 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of diese vs duele

Shared letters: de. Private to "diese": is. Private to "duele": lu.

"diese" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV  ·  "duele" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • dieseddiese · deise · diece · diees · diesse · disee · idese
  • dueledduele · deule · dueel · duelle · dulee · udele

Frequency comparison

diese#26,003
duele#2,878

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "diese" and "duele" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈd̪jese] versus [ˈd̪wele]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "diese" or "duele"?
"duele" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,878 in our Spanish list, against #26,003 for "diese". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering diese vs duele

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 “diese” 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