decretarvsdecretoWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: decretar is a verb, decreto is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“decretar” is a verb and “decreto” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#24,933
“decretar” frequency rank
#2,041
“decreto” frequency rank
26974
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature decretar decreto
Definition ordenar por decreto lei, norma ou regulamento editado sem discussão dos interessados

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
decretar
7 ch
decreto

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: decretar is averb and decretoanoun. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26974, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

decretar is recorded at frequency rank #24,933, classified as averb. decreto is at rank #2,041, tagged as anoun, pronounced /dɨ.ˈkɾɛ.tu/.

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 26974, this pair ranks #42,072 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of decretar vs decreto

Shared letters: cdert. Private to "decretar": a. Private to "decreto": o.

"decretar" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC  ·  "decreto" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • decretardceretar · ddecretar · deccretar · decertar · decreatr · decretarr · decretra · decrettar
  • decretodcereto · ddecreto · deccreto · decreot · decretto · decrreto · decrteo · derceto

Frequency comparison

decretar#24,933
decreto#2,041

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "decretar" and "decreto" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "decretar" is a verb and "decreto" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "decretar" or "decreto"?
"decreto" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,041 in our Portuguese list, against #24,933 for "decretar". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering decretar vs decreto

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “decretar”; for a noun, it's “decreto”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “decretar” 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