decade
/dɛˈkeɪd/
noun
Common
1.n.a period of 10 years
2.n.the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
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decade and decide differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. decade means “a period of 10 years”. decide means “reach, make, or come to a decision about something”. decide is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/dɛˈkeɪd/
1.n.a period of 10 years
2.n.the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
/ˌdɪˈsaɪd/
1.v.reach, make, or come to a decision about something
“We finally decided after lengthy deliberations”
2.v.bring to an end; settle conclusively
“The case was decided”
3.v.cause to decide
“This new development finally decided me!”
| decade | decide | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /dɛˈkeɪd/ | /ˌdɪˈsaɪd/ |
| Said | deh-KAYD | dis-AHYD |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | noun | verb |
| Senses | 2 | 4 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | decennary, decennium | make up one's mind, determine |
Full entry for decade · Full entry for decide · More comparisons