decí vs der, What's the Difference?

Which to use

“decí” is a verb and “der” is an article - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#42,935
“decí” frequency rank: #6,897
“der” frequency rank: 49832
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	decí	der
Definition	Segunda persona del singular (vos) del imperativo afirmativo de decir.	El.

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch

decí

3 ch

der

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: decí is [d̪eˈsi] while der is [de:ɐ]. 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 (verb vs article), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 49832, 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]. der is at rank #6,897, tagged as anarticle, pronounced [de:ɐ].

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 49832, this pair ranks #106,605 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of decí vs der

Shared letters: de. Private to "decí": cí. Private to "der": r.

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

Frequency comparison

decí#42,935

der#6,897

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

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

No - they are not even the same part of speech. "decí" is a verb and "der" an article, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.

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

"der" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,897 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.

Remembering decí vs der

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “decí”; for an article, it's “der”.
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