decirlevsdecirteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,245
“decirle” frequency rank
#3,043
“decirte” frequency rank
5288
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature decirle decirte
Definition Decir, con el enclítico le (pronombre). Decir, con el enclítico te (pronombre).

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set decirle and decirte apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
decirle
7 ch
decirte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. decirle ([d̪eˈsiɾle]) and decirte ([d̪eˈsiɾt̪e]) 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 a single letter - l in “decirle” becomes t in “decirte”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5288, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

decirle is recorded at frequency rank #2,245, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsiɾle]. decirte is at rank #3,043, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsiɾt̪e].

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 5288, this pair ranks #314,013 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of decirle vs decirte

Shared letters: cdeir. Private to "decirle": l. Private to "decirte": t.

"decirle" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV  ·  "decirte" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • decirledceirle · ddecirle · deccirle · decilre · decirel · decirlle · decirrle · decrile
  • decirtedceirte · ddecirte · deccirte · deciret · decirrte · decirtte · decitre · decrite

Frequency comparison

decirle#2,245
decirte#3,043

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "decirle" and "decirte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪eˈsiɾle] versus [d̪eˈsiɾt̪e]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "decirle" or "decirte"?
"decirle" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,245 in our Spanish list, against #3,043 for "decirte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering decirle vs decirte

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 “decirle” 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