decíanvsdecidíWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,909
“decían” frequency rank
#4,877
“decidí” frequency rank
8786
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature decían decidí
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de decir. Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de decidir o de decidirse.

Where the eye mixes decían and decidí

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.

6 ch
decían
6 ch
decidí

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. decían ([d̪eˈsiãn]) and decidí ([d̪esiˈð̞i]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8786, 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]. decidí is at rank #4,877, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪esiˈð̞i].

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 8786, this pair ranks #303,923 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of decían vs decidí

Shared letters: cdeí. Private to "decían": an. Private to "decidí": i.

"decían" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC  ·  "decidí" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "decían" and "decidí" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪eˈsiãn] versus [d̪esiˈð̞i]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "decían" or "decidí"?
"decían" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,909 in our Spanish list, against #4,877 for "decidí". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list