Which to use
“estaba” and “evitaba” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #147
- “estaba” frequency rank
- #38,109
- “evitaba” frequency rank
- 38256
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | estaba | evitaba |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de estar o de estarse. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de evitar. |
Where the eye mixes estaba and evitaba
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses estaba with evitaba
A purely visual mix-up. estaba ([esˈt̪aβ̞a]) and evitaba ([eβ̞iˈt̪aβ̞a]) 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 38256, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
estaba is recorded at frequency rank #147, classified as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪aβ̞a]. evitaba is at rank #38,109, tagged as averb, pronounced [eβ̞iˈt̪aβ̞a].
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 38256, this pair ranks #171,008 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of estaba vs evitaba
Shared letters: abet. Private to "estaba": s. Private to "evitaba": iv.
"estaba" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV · "evitaba" · 7 letters · shape VCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "estaba" and "evitaba" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "estaba" vs "evitaba" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "estaba" and "evitaba" 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 "evitaba" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #171,008 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "estaba" and "evitaba" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "evitaba vs evitas". 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 #171,008 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.