Which to use
“debías” and “decidas” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #44,095
- “debías” frequency rank
- #21,965
- “decidas” frequency rank
- 66060
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | debías | decidas |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de deber. | Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de subjuntivo de decidir o de decidirse. |
Where the eye mixes debías and decidas
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. debías runs 6 letters (CVCVVC) against decidas's 7 (CVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between debías and decidas
A purely visual mix-up. debías ([d̪eˈβ̞ias]) and decidas ([d̪eˈsið̞as]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 66060, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
debías is recorded at frequency rank #44,095, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈβ̞ias]. decidas is at rank #21,965, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsið̞as].
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 66060, this pair ranks #40,876 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of debías vs decidas
Shared letters: ades. Private to "debías": bí. Private to "decidas": ci.
"debías" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "decidas" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- decidas ← dceidas · ddecidas · deccidas · decdias · deciads · decidass · deciddas · decidsa
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "debías" and "decidas" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "debías" or "decidas"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "debías" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "decidas" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #40,876 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "debías" and "decidas" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "debías vs Denia". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #40,876 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.