Which to use
“estaba” and “estás” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #147
- “estaba” frequency rank
- #401
- “estás” frequency rank
- 548
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | estaba | estás |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de estar o de estarse. | Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del presente de indicativo de estar o de estarse. |
Where the eye mixes estaba and estás
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between estaba and estás
A purely visual mix-up. estaba ([esˈt̪aβ̞a]) and estás ([esˈt̪as]) 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 548, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
estaba is recorded at frequency rank #147, classified as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪aβ̞a]. estás is at rank #401, tagged as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪as].
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 548, this pair ranks #323,285 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of estaba vs estás
Shared letters: est. Private to "estaba": ab. Private to "estás": á.
"estaba" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV · "estás" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- estaba ← esatba · esstaba · estaab · estabba · estava · estbaa · esttaba · etsaba
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "estaba" and "estás" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "estaba" or "estás" show up more?
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 "estás" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #323,285 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "estaba" and "estás" 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 #323,285 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.