estáisvsestarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“estáis” and “estar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#6,181
“estáis” frequency rank
#148
“estar” frequency rank
6329
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature estáis estar
Definition Segunda persona del plural (vosotros, vosotras) del presente de indicativo de estar o de estarse. Existir, hallarse alguien o algo con cierta permanencia y estabilidad en este o aquel lugar, situación, condición o modo actual de ser.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set estáis and estar apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
estáis
5 ch
estar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. estáis ([esˈt̪ajs]) and estar ([esˈt̪aɾ]) 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 6329, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

estáis is recorded at frequency rank #6,181, classified as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪ajs]. estar is at rank #148, tagged as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪aɾ].

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 6329, this pair ranks #311,093 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of estáis vs estar

Shared letters: est. Private to "estáis": . Private to "estar": ar.

"estáis" · 6 letters · shape VCCVVC  ·  "estar" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • estaresatr · esstar · estarr · estra · esttar · etsar · setar

Frequency comparison

estáis#6,181
estar#148

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "estáis" and "estar" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([esˈt̪ajs] versus [esˈt̪aɾ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "estáis" or "estar"?
"estar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #148 in our Spanish list, against #6,181 for "estáis". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering estáis vs estar

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “estáis” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list