decí vs den, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#42,935
“decí” frequency rank: #2,020
“den” frequency rank: 44955
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	decí	den
Definition	Segunda persona del singular (vos) del imperativo afirmativo de decir.	Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de subjuntivo de dar o de darse.

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch

decí

3 ch

den

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. decí ([d̪eˈsi]) and den ([ˈd̪ẽn]) 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 44955, 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]. den is at rank #2,020, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈd̪ẽn].

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 44955, this pair ranks #134,142 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of decí vs den

Shared letters: de. Private to "decí": cí. Private to "den": n.

"decí" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "den" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Frequency comparison

decí#42,935

den#2,020

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "decí" and "den" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([d̪eˈsi] versus [ˈd̪ẽn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "decí" or "den"?

"den" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,020 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 den

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