Which to use
“decían” and “deciden” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,909
- “decían” frequency rank
- #6,648
- “deciden” frequency rank
- 10557
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | decían | deciden |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de decir. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de decidir o de decidirse. |
Where the eye mixes decían and deciden
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. decían ([d̪eˈsiãn]) and deciden ([d̪eˈsið̞ẽn]) 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 10557, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
decían is recorded at frequency rank #3,909, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsiãn]. deciden is at rank #6,648, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsið̞ẽn].
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 10557, this pair ranks #298,171 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of decían vs deciden
Shared letters: cden. Private to "decían": aí. Private to "deciden": i.
"decían" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "deciden" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- deciden ← dceiden · ddeciden · decciden · decdien · decidden · decidenn · decidne · deciedn
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "decían" and "deciden" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "decían" or "deciden"?
What to do next
You've compared "decían" and "deciden". Here's where to go from here.
- Full dictionary entry for "decían" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "deciden" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #298,171 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "decían" and "deciden" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "deciden vs deriven". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.