Which to use
“esta” is an unknown and “estén” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #33
- “esta” frequency rank
- #1,448
- “estén” frequency rank
- 1481
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | esta | estén |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Forma del femenino de este₂. | 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 esta 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: esta is [ˈest̪a] while estén is [esˈt̪ẽn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (unknown vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1481, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
esta is recorded at frequency rank #33, classified as anunknown, pronounced [ˈest̪a]. 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 1481, this pair ranks #321,984 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of esta vs estén
Shared letters: est. Private to "esta": a. Private to "estén": né.
"esta" · 4 letters · shape VCCV · "estén" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- esta ← esat · essta · estta · etsa
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "esta" and "estén" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "esta" or "estén"?
Remembering esta vs estén
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an unknown, it's “esta”; for a verb, it's “estén”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “esta” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable