decidirvsdecidirseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,769
“decidir” frequency rank
#26,792
“decidirse” frequency rank
29561
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature decidir decidirse
Definition Zanjar una cuestión, tomar una resolución definitiva. Adoptar una determinación o actitud, especialmente después de dudar o pensarlo durante un tiempo.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set decidir and decidirse apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
decidir
9 ch
decidirse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. decidir ([d̪esiˈð̞iɾ]) and decidirse ([d̪esiˈð̞iɾse]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “decidir” sits inside “decidirse”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29561, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

decidir is recorded at frequency rank #2,769, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪esiˈð̞iɾ]. decidirse is at rank #26,792, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪esiˈð̞iɾse].

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 29561, this pair ranks #216,385 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of decidir vs decidirse

Shared letters: cdeir. Private to "decidir": -. Private to "decidirse": s.

"decidir" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "decidirse" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • decidirdceidir · ddecidir · deccidir · decdiir · deciddir · decidirr · decidri · deciidr
  • decidirsedceidirse · ddecidirse · deccidirse · decdiirse · deciddirse · decidirce · decidires · decidirrse

Frequency comparison

decidir#2,769
decidirse#26,792

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "decidir" and "decidirse" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪esiˈð̞iɾ] versus [d̪esiˈð̞iɾse]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "decidir" or "decidirse"?
"decidir" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,769 in our Spanish list, against #26,792 for "decidirse". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering decidir vs decidirse

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 “decidir” 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