Which to use
“están” is a verb and “eta” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #91
- “están” frequency rank
- #5,959
- “eta” frequency rank
- 6050
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | están | eta |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de estar o de estarse. | Nombre de la "e" larga del alfabeto griego. |
Where the eye mixes están and eta
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses están with eta
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: están is [esˈt̪ãn] while eta is [ˈet̪a]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6050, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
están is recorded at frequency rank #91, classified as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪ãn]. eta is at rank #5,959, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈet̪a].
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 6050, this pair ranks #311,914 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of están vs eta
Shared letters: et. Private to "están": nsá. Private to "eta": a.
"están" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "eta" · 3 letters · shape VCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "están" and "eta" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "están" vs "eta" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "están" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "eta" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #311,914 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "están" and "eta" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "EPL vs eta". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #311,914 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.