decívsdecidíWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#42,935
“decí” frequency rank
#4,877
“decidí” frequency rank
47812
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature decí decidí
Definition Segunda persona del singular (vos) del imperativo afirmativo de decir. Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de decidir o de decidirse.

Where the eye mixes decí and decidí

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. decí runs 4 letters (CVCV) against decidí's 6 (CVCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

4 ch
decí
6 ch
decidí

Look-alike desk: decí vs decidí

A purely visual mix-up. decí ([d̪eˈsi]) and decidí ([d̪esiˈð̞i]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47812, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

decí is recorded at frequency rank #42,935, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsi]. decidí is at rank #4,877, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪esiˈð̞i].

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 47812, this pair ranks #117,966 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of decí vs decidí

Shared letters: cdeí. Private to "decí": -. Private to "decidí": i.

"decí" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "decidí" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "decí" for "decidí" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([d̪eˈsi] versus [d̪esiˈð̞i]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "decí" vs "decidí" - which ranks higher?
"decidí" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,877 in our Spanish list, against #42,935 for "decí". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

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 "decí" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "decidí" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #117,966 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "decí" and "decidí" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "decí vs Deva". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #117,966 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list