decívsdejóWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#42,935
“decí” frequency rank
#985
“dejó” frequency rank
43920
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature decí dejó
Definition Segunda persona del singular (vos) del imperativo afirmativo de decir. Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de dejar.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set decí and dejó apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
decí
4 ch
dejó

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. decí ([d̪eˈsi]) and dejó ([d̪eˈxo]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43920, 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]. dejó is at rank #985, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈxo].

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 43920, this pair ranks #139,926 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of decí vs dejó

Shared letters: de. Private to "decí": . Private to "dejó": .

"decí" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "dejó" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Frequency comparison

decí#42,935
dejó#985

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "decí" and "dejó" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪eˈsi] versus [d̪eˈxo]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "decí" or "dejó"?
"dejó" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #985 in our Spanish list, against #42,935 for "decí". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering decí vs dejó

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 “decí” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list