Which to use
“decían” and “derivan” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,909
- “decían” frequency rank
- #17,105
- “derivan” frequency rank
- 21014
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | decían | derivan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 derivar o de derivarse. |
Where the eye mixes decían and derivan
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses decían with derivan
A purely visual mix-up. decían ([d̪eˈsiãn]) and derivan ([d̪eˈɾiβ̞ãn]) 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 21014, 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]. derivan is at rank #17,105, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈɾiβ̞ãn].
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 21014, this pair ranks #256,780 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of decían vs derivan
Shared letters: aden. Private to "decían": cí. Private to "derivan": irv.
"decían" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "derivan" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- derivan ← dderivan · deirvan · deriavn · deriban · derivann · derivna · derivvan · derrivan
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "decían" for "derivan" ever safe?
Frequency check: "decían" vs "derivan" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "decían" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "derivan" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #256,780 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "decían" and "derivan" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "derivan 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
Confusion rank #256,780 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.