Which to use
“decenios” is a noun and “detenidos” is a participle - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #44,096
- “decenios” frequency rank
- #4,699
- “detenidos” frequency rank
- 48795
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | decenios | detenidos |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Forma del plural de decenio. | Forma del plural de detenido, participio de detener o de detenerse. |
Where the eye mixes decenios and detenidos
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. decenios runs 8 letters (CVCVCVVC) against detenidos's 9 (CVCVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: decenios vs detenidos
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: decenios is [d̪eˈsenjos] while detenidos is [d̪et̪eˈnið̞os]. 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 participle), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48795, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
decenios is recorded at frequency rank #44,096, classified as anoun, pronounced [d̪eˈsenjos]. detenidos is at rank #4,699, tagged as aparticiple, pronounced [d̪et̪eˈnið̞os].
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 48795, this pair ranks #112,495 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of decenios vs detenidos
Shared letters: deinos. Private to "decenios": c. Private to "detenidos": t.
"decenios" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVVC · "detenidos" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "decenios" for "detenidos" ever safe?
Frequency check: "decenios" vs "detenidos" - 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 "decenios" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "detenidos" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #112,495 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "decenios" and "detenidos" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "decenio vs decenios". 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 #112,495 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.