decidenvsdefinenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,648
“deciden” frequency rank
#9,097
“definen” frequency rank
15745
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature deciden definen
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de decidir o de decidirse. Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de definir o de definirse.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
deciden
7 ch
definen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. deciden ([d̪eˈsið̞ẽn]) and definen ([d̪eˈfinẽn]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15745, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

deciden is recorded at frequency rank #6,648, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsið̞ẽn]. definen is at rank #9,097, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈfinẽn].

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 15745, this pair ranks #278,948 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of deciden vs definen

Shared letters: dein. Private to "deciden": c. Private to "definen": f.

"deciden" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "definen" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • decidendceiden · ddeciden · decciden · decdien · decidden · decidenn · decidne · deciedn
  • definenddefinen · deffinen · defienn · definenn · definnen · defnien · deifnen · dfeinen

Frequency comparison

deciden#6,648
definen#9,097

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "deciden" and "definen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪eˈsið̞ẽn] versus [d̪eˈfinẽn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "deciden" or "definen"?
"deciden" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,648 in our Spanish list, against #9,097 for "definen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering deciden vs definen

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 “deciden” 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