esténvsestésWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,448
“estén” frequency rank
#2,660
“estés” frequency rank
4108
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature estén estés
Definition Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de subjuntivo 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 estén and estés apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
estén
5 ch
estés

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. estén ([esˈt̪ẽn]) 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 differ by a single letter - n in “estén” becomes s in “estés”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4108, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

estén is recorded at frequency rank #1,448, classified as averb, pronounced [esˈt̪ẽn]. 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 4108, this pair ranks #316,869 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of estén vs estés

Shared letters: esté. Private to "estén": n. Private to "estés": -.

"estén" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC  ·  "estés" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC

Frequency comparison

estén#1,448
estés#2,660

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "estén" and "estés" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([esˈt̪ẽn] versus [esˈt̪es]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "estén" or "estés"?
"estén" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,448 in our Spanish list, against #2,660 for "estés". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering estén vs estés

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 “estén” 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