Which to use
“décisif” and “décisive” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,989
- “décisif” frequency rank
- #8,535
- “décisive” frequency rank
- 17524
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | décisif | décisive |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Qui emporte la décision. | Féminin singulier de décisif. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set décisif and décisive apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. décisif (\de.si.zif\) and décisive (\de.si.ziv\) 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 17524, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
décisif is recorded at frequency rank #8,989, classified as anadj, pronounced \de.si.zif\. décisive is at rank #8,535, tagged as anadj, pronounced \de.si.ziv\.
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 17524, this pair ranks #382,741 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of décisif vs décisive
Shared letters: cdisé. Private to "décisif": f. Private to "décisive": ev.
"décisif" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "décisive" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCVCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "décisif" and "décisive" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "décisif" or "décisive"?
Remembering décisif vs décisive
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 “décisif” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable