decidevsdecidíWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,041
“decide” frequency rank
#4,877
“decidí” frequency rank
7918
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature decide decidí
Definition Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de decidir o de decidirse. Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito perfecto simple de indicativo de decidir o de decidirse.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set decide and decidí apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
decide
6 ch
decidí

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

decide and decidí form a confusable pair in the Spanish index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - e in “decide” becomes í in “decidí” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7918, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

decide is recorded at frequency rank #3,041, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsið̞e]. 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 7918, this pair ranks #306,540 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

decide#3,041
decidí#4,877

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "decide" and "decidí" be used interchangeably?
No, "decide" and "decidí" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering decide vs decidí

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “decide” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list