Which to use
“est” is an adjective and “estén” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,957
- “est” frequency rank
- #1,448
- “estén” frequency rank
- 7405
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | est | estén |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Este. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de subjuntivo de estar o de estarse. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set est and estén apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: est is [ɛst] while estén is [esˈt̪ẽn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “est” sits inside “estén”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7405, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
est is recorded at frequency rank #5,957, classified as anadj, pronounced [ɛst]. estén is at rank #1,448, tagged as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪ẽn].
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 7405, this pair ranks #308,075 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of est vs estén
Shared letters: est. Private to "est": -. Private to "estén": né.
"est" · 3 letters · shape VCC · "estén" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "est" and "estén" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "est" or "estén"?
Remembering est vs estén
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “est”; for a verb, it's “estén”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “est” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable