Which to use
“estabas” and “estás” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,788
- “estabas” frequency rank
- #401
- “estás” frequency rank
- 5189
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | estabas | estás |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de estar. | Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del presente de indicativo de estar o de estarse. |
Where the eye mixes estabas and estás
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between estabas and estás
A purely visual mix-up. estabas ([esˈt̪aβ̞as]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5189, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
estabas is recorded at frequency rank #4,788, classified as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪aβ̞as]. 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 5189, this pair ranks #314,267 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of estabas vs estás
Shared letters: est. Private to "estabas": ab. Private to "estás": á.
"estabas" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC · "estás" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- estabas ← esatbas · esstabas · estaabs · estabass · estabbas · estabsa · estavas · estbaas
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "estabas" and "estás" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "estabas" or "estás"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "estabas" 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 #314,267 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "estabas" and "estás" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "estabais vs estabas". 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 #314,267 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.