Which to use
“estén” and “estoy” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,448
- “estén” frequency rank
- #96
- “estoy” frequency rank
- 1544
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | estén | estoy |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del plural (ellos, ellas; ustedes, 2.ª persona) del presente de subjuntivo de estar o de estarse. | Primera persona del singular (yo) del presente de indicativo de estar o de estarse. |
Where the eye mixes estén and estoy
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. estén (VCCVC) and estoy (VCCVV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: estén vs estoy
A purely visual mix-up. estén ([esˈt̪ẽn]) 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 1544, 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]. 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 1544, this pair ranks #321,865 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of estén vs estoy
Shared letters: est. Private to "estén": né. Private to "estoy": oy.
"estén" · 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
Is swapping "estén" for "estoy" ever safe?
Frequency check: "estén" vs "estoy" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "estén" and "estoy" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "estén" 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 #321,865 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "estén" and "estoy" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "estén 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 #321,865 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.