Which to use
“estaba” and “estaban” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #147
- “estaba” frequency rank
- #482
- “estaban” frequency rank
- 629
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | estaba | estaban |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de estar o de estarse. | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de estar. |
Where the eye mixes estaba and estaban
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: estaba vs estaban
A purely visual mix-up. estaba ([esˈt̪aβ̞a]) and estaban ([esˈt̪aβ̞ãn]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “estaba” sits inside “estaban”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 629, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
estaba is recorded at frequency rank #147, classified as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪aβ̞a]. estaban is at rank #482, tagged as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪aβ̞ãn].
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 629, this pair ranks #323,173 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of estaba vs estaban
Shared letters: abest. Private to "estaba": -. Private to "estaban": n.
"estaba" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV · "estaban" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "estaba" and "estaban" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "estaba" vs "estaban" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "estaba" and "estaban" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "estaba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "estaban" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #323,173 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "estaba" and "estaban" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "estabais vs estaban". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #323,173 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.