decide and decode differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. decide means “reach, make, or come to a decision about something”. decode means “convert code into ordinary language”. decide is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/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!”
/dɪˈkoʊd/
1.v.convert code into ordinary language
| decide | decode | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˌdɪˈsaɪd/ | /dɪˈkoʊd/ |
| Said | dis-AHYD | di-KOHD |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | verb | verb |
| Senses | 4 | 1 |
| How common | Core | Familiar |
| Synonyms | make up one's mind, determine | decrypt, decipher |
Full entry for decide · Full entry for decode · More comparisons