decísvsdócilWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: decís is a verb, dócil is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“decís” is a verb and “dócil” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#7,286
“decís” frequency rank
#35,006
“dócil” frequency rank
42292
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature decís dócil
Definition Segunda persona del singular (vos) del presente de indicativo de decir. Suave, blando.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set decís and dócil apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
decís
5 ch
dócil

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: decís is [d̪eˈsis] while dócil is [ˈd̪osil]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42292, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

decís is recorded at frequency rank #7,286, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪eˈsis]. dócil is at rank #35,006, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈd̪osil].

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 42292, this pair ranks #149,042 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of decís vs dócil

Shared letters: cd. Private to "decís": esí. Private to "dócil": iló.

"decís" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "dócil" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Frequency comparison

decís#7,286
dócil#35,006

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "decís" and "dócil" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "decís" is a verb and "dócil" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "decís" or "dócil"?
"decís" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,286 in our Spanish list, against #35,006 for "dócil". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering decís vs dócil

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “decís”; for an adjective, it's “dócil”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “decís” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list