decorarvsdeportarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#20,643
“decorar” frequency rank
#34,978
“deportar” frequency rank
55621
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature decorar deportar
Definition Adornar. Desterrar a alguien a un lugar extranjero por razones políticas o como pena.

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
decorar
8 ch
deportar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. decorar ([d̪ekoˈɾaɾ]) and deportar ([d̪epoɾˈt̪aɾ]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 55621, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

decorar is recorded at frequency rank #20,643, classified as averb, pronounced [d̪ekoˈɾaɾ]. deportar is at rank #34,978, tagged as averb, pronounced [d̪epoɾˈt̪aɾ].

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 55621, this pair ranks #78,071 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of decorar vs deportar

Shared letters: adeor. Private to "decorar": c. Private to "deportar": pt.

"decorar" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "deportar" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • decorardceorar · ddecorar · deccorar · decoarr · decorarr · decorra · decorrar · decroar
  • deportarddeportar · deoprtar · deporatr · deporrtar · deportarr · deportra · deporttar · depotrar

Frequency comparison

decorar#20,643
deportar#34,978

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "decorar" and "deportar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([d̪ekoˈɾaɾ] versus [d̪epoɾˈt̪aɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "decorar" or "deportar"?
"decorar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,643 in our Spanish list, against #34,978 for "deportar". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering decorar vs deportar

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 “decorar” 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