decaevsdecíasWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#48,929
“decae” frequency rank
#15,066
“decías” frequency rank
63995
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature decae decías
Definition Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de decaer. Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de decir.

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
decae
6 ch
decías

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. decae ([d̪eˈkae]) and decías ([d̪eˈsias]) 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 63995, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

decae is recorded at frequency rank #48,929, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈkae]. 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 63995, this pair ranks #46,929 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of decae vs decías

Shared letters: acde. Private to "decae": -. Private to "decías": .

"decae" · 5 letters · shape CVCVV  ·  "decías" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • decaedceae · ddecae · deace · deccae · edcae

Frequency comparison

decae#48,929
decías#15,066

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "decae" and "decías" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪eˈkae] versus [d̪eˈsias]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "decae" or "decías"?
"decías" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #15,066 in our Spanish list, against #48,929 for "decae". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering decae vs decías

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 “decae” 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