Which to use
“estaba” and “están” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #147
- “estaba” frequency rank
- #91
- “están” frequency rank
- 238
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | estaba | están |
|---|---|---|
| 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 presente de indicativo de estar o de estarse. |
Where the eye mixes estaba and están
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses estaba with están
A purely visual mix-up. estaba ([esˈt̪aβ̞a]) and están ([esˈt̪ãn]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 238, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
estaba is recorded at frequency rank #147, classified as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪aβ̞a]. están is at rank #91, tagged as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪ãn].
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 238, this pair ranks #323,632 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of estaba vs están
Shared letters: est. Private to "estaba": ab. Private to "están": ná.
"estaba" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV · "están" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- estaba ← esatba · esstaba · estaab · estabba · estava · estbaa · esttaba · etsaba
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "estaba" and "están" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "estaba" vs "están" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "estaba" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "están" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #323,632 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "estaba" and "están" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "estaba vs estanca". 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 #323,632 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.