Which to use
“decías” is a verb and “décimo” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #15,066
- “decías” frequency rank
- #8,794
- “décimo” frequency rank
- 23860
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | decías | décimo |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) 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 decías and décimo apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: decías is [d̪eˈsias] while décimo is [ˈd̪esimo]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 4 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23860, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
decías is recorded at frequency rank #15,066, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsias]. 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 23860, this pair ranks #243,832 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of decías vs décimo
Shared letters: cd. Private to "decías": aesí. Private to "décimo": imoé.
"decías" · 6 letters · shape CVCVVC · "décimo" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "decías" and "décimo" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "decías" or "décimo"?
Remembering decías vs décimo
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “decías”; for a num, it's “décimo”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “decías” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable