Which to use
“estás” and “estoy” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #401
- “estás” frequency rank
- #96
- “estoy” frequency rank
- 497
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | estás | estoy |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del presente de indicativo de estar o de estarse. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de estar o de estarse. |
Where the eye mixes estás and estoy
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. estás (VCCVC) and estoy (VCCVV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between estás and estoy
A purely visual mix-up. estás ([esˈt̪as]) and estoy ([esˈt̪oj]) 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 497, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
estás is recorded at frequency rank #401, classified as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪as]. estoy is at rank #96, tagged as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪oj].
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 497, this pair ranks #323,346 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of estás vs estoy
Shared letters: est. Private to "estás": á. Private to "estoy": oy.
"estás" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "estoy" · 5 letters · shape VCCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- estoy ← esoty · esstoy · estoyy · esttoy · estyo · etsoy · setoy
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "estás" and "estoy" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "estás" vs "estoy" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "estás" and "estoy" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "estás" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "estoy" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #323,346 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "estás" and "estoy" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "estás vs estepas". 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 #323,346 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.