diezvsdigWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: diez is a num, dig is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“diez” is a num and “dig” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#44,810
“diez” frequency rank
#34,238
“dig” frequency rank
79048
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature diez dig
Definition o número dez cavar, escavar

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
diez
3 ch
dig

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: diez is anum and digaverb. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 79048, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

diez is recorded at frequency rank #44,810, classified as anum, pronounced /dĭeθ/ ouvir^(fonte ?). dig is at rank #34,238, tagged as averb.

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 79048, this pair ranks #1,557 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of diez vs dig

Shared letters: di. Private to "diez": ez. Private to "dig": g.

"diez" · 4 letters · shape CVVC  ·  "dig" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • diezddiez · deiz · diezz · idez

Frequency comparison

diez#44,810
dig#34,238

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "diez" and "dig" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "diez" is a num and "dig" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "diez" or "dig"?
"dig" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #34,238 in our Portuguese list, against #44,810 for "diez". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering diez vs dig

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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