komplexvsKomplexesWhich spelling fits?

Quick tell: komplex is a adjective, Komplexes is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“komplex” is an adjective and “Komplexes” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#5,504
“komplex” frequency rank
#15,411
“Komplexes” frequency rank
20915
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature komplex Komplexes
Definition verflochten, zusammenhängend, umfassend, vielschichtig Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Komplex

Where the eye mixes komplex and Komplexes

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.

7 ch
komplex
9 ch
Komplexes

Why the eye confuses komplex with Komplexes

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: komplex is [kɔmˈplɛks] while Komplexes is [kɔmˈplɛksəs]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “komplex” sits inside “Komplexes”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 20915, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

komplex is recorded at frequency rank #5,504, classified as anadj, pronounced [kɔmˈplɛks]. Komplexes is at rank #15,411, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kɔmˈplɛksəs].

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 20915, this pair ranks #1,892,283 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of komplex vs Komplexes

Shared letters: eklmopx. Private to "komplex": -. Private to "Komplexes": s.

"komplex" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC  ·  "Komplexes" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • komplexkkomplex · kmoplex · komlpex · kommplex · kompelx · komplexx · kompllex · komplxe
  • Komplexeskkomplexes · kmoplexes · komlpexes · kommplexes · kompelxes · kompleexs · komplexess · komplexse

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "komplex" for "Komplexes" ever safe?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "komplex" is an adjective and "Komplexes" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Frequency check: "komplex" vs "Komplexes" - which ranks higher?
"komplex" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,504 in our German list, against #15,411 for "Komplexes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Eye-level mix-up between "komplex" and "Komplexes" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.

  • Full dictionary entry for "komplex" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Komplexes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,892,283 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "komplex" and "Komplexes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "komplexere vs Komplexes". 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 #1,892,283 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list