Which to use
“este” is an adjective and “estoy” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #31
- “este” frequency rank
- #96
- “estoy” frequency rank
- 127
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | este | estoy |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Se emplea para indicar o señalar algo o a alguien próximo al hablante, o referirse a algo que se acaba de mencionar. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de estar o de estarse. |
Where the eye mixes este and estoy
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: este vs estoy
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: este is [ˈest̪e] while estoy is [esˈt̪oj]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 127, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
este is recorded at frequency rank #31, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈest̪e]. 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 127, this pair ranks #323,755 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of este vs estoy
Shared letters: est. Private to "este": -. Private to "estoy": oy.
"este" · 4 letters · shape VCCV · "estoy" · 5 letters · shape VCCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "este" for "estoy" ever safe?
In ordinary Spanish text, does "este" or "estoy" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "este" 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 #323,755 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "este" and "estoy" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "este vs Esteve". 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 #323,755 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.