Which to use
“decides” and “decidir” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,020
- “decides” frequency rank
- #2,769
- “decidir” frequency rank
- 13789
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | decides | decidir |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (tú) del presente de indicativo de decidir o de decidirse. | Zanjar una cuestión, tomar una resolución definitiva. |
Where the eye mixes decides and decidir
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between decides and decidir
A purely visual mix-up. decides ([d̪eˈsið̞es]) 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 share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13789, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
decides is recorded at frequency rank #11,020, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsið̞es]. 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 13789, this pair ranks #286,552 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of decides vs decidir
Shared letters: cdei. Private to "decides": s. Private to "decidir": r.
"decides" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "decidir" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "decides" for "decidir" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "decides" or "decidir" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "decides" 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 #286,552 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "decides" and "decidir" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "decides vs dóciles". 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 #286,552 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.