Which to use
“décadas” is a noun and “decías” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,338
- “décadas” frequency rank
- #15,066
- “decías” frequency rank
- 17404
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | décadas | decías |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Forma del plural de década. | Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de decir. |
Where the eye mixes décadas and decías
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses décadas with decías
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: décadas is [ˈd̪ekað̞as] while decías is [d̪eˈsias]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17404, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
décadas is recorded at frequency rank #2,338, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈd̪ekað̞as]. decías is at rank #15,066, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsias].
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 17404, this pair ranks #272,249 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of décadas vs decías
Shared letters: acds. Private to "décadas": é. Private to "decías": eí.
"décadas" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "decías" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "décadas" for "decías" ever safe?
Which is more common, "décadas" or "decías"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "décadas" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "decías" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #272,249 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "décadas" and "decías" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "decae vs decías". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #272,249 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.