Which to use
“decide” and “decidir” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,041
- “decide” frequency rank
- #2,769
- “decidir” frequency rank
- 5810
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | decide | decidir |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de decidir o de decidirse. | Zanjar una cuestión, tomar una resolución definitiva. |
Where the eye mixes decide and decidir
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses decide with decidir
A purely visual mix-up. decide ([d̪eˈsið̞e]) and decidir ([d̪esiˈð̞iɾ]) 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 5810, 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]. decidir is at rank #2,769, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪esiˈð̞iɾ].
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 5810, this pair ranks #312,594 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of decide vs decidir
Shared letters: cdei. Private to "decide": -. Private to "decidir": r.
"decide" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV · "decidir" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "decide" and "decidir" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "decide" or "decidir"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "decide" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "decidir" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #312,594 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "decide" and "decidir" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "decae vs decide". 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 #312,594 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.