debíasvsdecidasWhat's the difference?

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 spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set debías and decidas apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
debías
7 ch
decidas

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

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": . Private to "decidas": ci.

"debías" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC  ·  "decidas" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • decidasdceidas · ddecidas · deccidas · decdias · deciads · decidass · deciddas · decidsa

Frequency comparison

debías#44,095
decidas#21,965

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "debías" and "decidas" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪eˈβ̞ias] versus [d̪eˈsið̞as]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "debías" or "decidas"?
"decidas" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,965 in our Spanish list, against #44,095 for "debías". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering debías vs decidas

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 “debías” 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