decidirvsdividirWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,769
“decidir” frequency rank
#7,983
“dividir” frequency rank
10752
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature decidir dividir
Definition Zanjar una cuestión, tomar una resolución definitiva. Acción de separar, cortar en pedazos, para poder distribuir una cosa.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
decidir
7 ch
dividir

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. decidir ([d̪esiˈð̞iɾ]) and dividir ([d̪iβ̞iˈð̞iɾ]) 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 10752, 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]. dividir is at rank #7,983, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪iβ̞iˈð̞iɾ].

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 10752, this pair ranks #297,496 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of decidir vs dividir

Shared letters: dir. Private to "decidir": ce. Private to "dividir": v.

"decidir" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "dividir" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • decidirdceidir · ddecidir · deccidir · decdiir · deciddir · decidirr · decidri · deciidr
  • dividirddividir · dibidir · diivdir · divdiir · dividdir · dividirr · dividri · diviidr

Frequency comparison

decidir#2,769
dividir#7,983

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "decidir" and "dividir" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪esiˈð̞iɾ] versus [d̪iβ̞iˈð̞iɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "decidir" or "dividir"?
"decidir" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,769 in our Spanish list, against #7,983 for "dividir". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering decidir vs dividir

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