decíamosvsdécimoWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: decíamos is a verb, décimo is a num, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“decíamos” is a verb and “décimo” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#19,080
“decíamos” frequency rank
#8,794
“décimo” frequency rank
27874
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature decíamos décimo
Definition Primera persona del plural (nosotros, nosotras) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de decir. Que ocupa el puesto siguiente al noveno en una serie ordenada. Ordinal del diez.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set decíamos and décimo apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
decíamos
6 ch
décimo

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: decíamos is [d̪eˈsiamos] while décimo is [ˈd̪esimo]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27874, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

decíamos is recorded at frequency rank #19,080, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsiamos]. décimo is at rank #8,794, tagged as anum, pronounced [ˈd̪esimo].

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 27874, this pair ranks #224,736 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of decíamos vs décimo

Shared letters: cdmo. Private to "decíamos": aesí. Private to "décimo": .

"decíamos" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC  ·  "décimo" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV

Frequency comparison

decíamos#19,080
décimo#8,794

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "decíamos" and "décimo" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "decíamos" is a verb and "décimo" a num, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "decíamos" or "décimo"?
"décimo" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,794 in our Spanish list, against #19,080 for "decíamos". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering decíamos vs décimo

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “decíamos”; for a num, it's “décimo”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “decíamos” 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