Which to use
“decenas” is an adjective and “defensas” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,299
- “decenas” frequency rank
- #10,651
- “defensas” frequency rank
- 15950
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | decenas | defensas |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Forma del femenino plural de deceno. | Forma del plural de defensa. |
Where the eye mixes decenas and defensas
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. decenas runs 7 letters (CVCVCVC) against defensas's 8 (CVCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: decenas vs defensas
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: decenas is [d̪eˈsenas] while defensas is [d̪eˈfẽnsas]. 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 (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15950, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
decenas is recorded at frequency rank #5,299, classified as anadj, pronounced [d̪eˈsenas]. defensas is at rank #10,651, tagged as anoun, pronounced [d̪eˈfẽnsas].
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 15950, this pair ranks #278,109 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of decenas vs defensas
Shared letters: adens. Private to "decenas": c. Private to "defensas": f.
"decenas" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "defensas" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "decenas" for "defensas" ever safe?
Frequency check: "decenas" vs "defensas" - which ranks higher?
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 "decenas" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "defensas" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #278,109 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "decenas" and "defensas" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "defensas vs detengas". 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 #278,109 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.