Which to use
“están” and “estés” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #91
- “están” frequency rank
- #2,660
- “estés” frequency rank
- 2751
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | están | estés |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de estar o de estarse. | Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del presente de subjuntivo de estar. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set están and estés apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. están ([esˈt̪ãn]) and estés ([esˈt̪es]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2751, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
están is recorded at frequency rank #91, classified as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪ãn]. estés is at rank #2,660, tagged as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪es].
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 2751, this pair ranks #319,717 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of están vs estés
Shared letters: est. Private to "están": ná. Private to "estés": é.
"están" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "estés" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC