decidavsdecidíConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#9,273
“decida” frequency rank
#4,877
“decidí” frequency rank
14150
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature decida decidí
Definition Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de subjuntivo de decidir o de decidirse. Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de decidir o de decidirse.

Where the eye mixes decida and decidí

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.

6 ch
decida
6 ch
decidí

Why the eye confuses decida with decidí

A purely visual mix-up. decida ([d̪eˈsið̞a]) 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 differ by a single letter - a in “decida” becomes í in “decidí”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14150, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

decida is recorded at frequency rank #9,273, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsið̞a]. 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 14150, this pair ranks #285,222 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of decida vs decidí

Shared letters: cdei. Private to "decida": a. Private to "decidí": í.

"decida" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV  ·  "decidí" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • decidadceida · ddecida · deccida · decdia · deciad · decidda · deicda · desida

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "decida" and "decidí" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪eˈsið̞a] versus [d̪esiˈð̞i]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "decida" vs "decidí" - which ranks higher?
"decidí" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,877 in our Spanish list, against #9,273 for "decida". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

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 "decida" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "decidí" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #285,222 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "decida" and "decidí" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "decida vs dolida". 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 #285,222 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list