KomplexevsKomplizeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Komplexe” and “Komplize” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#6,685
“Komplexe” frequency rank
#33,150
“Komplize” frequency rank
39835
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Komplexe Komplize
Definition Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Komplex an einer Straftat Beteiligter

Where the eye mixes Komplexe and Komplize

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.

8 ch
Komplexe
8 ch
Komplize

Visual trap between Komplexe and Komplize

A purely visual mix-up. Komplexe ([kɔmˈplɛksə]) and Komplize ([kɔmˈpliːt͡sə]) 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 39835, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Komplexe is recorded at frequency rank #6,685, classified as anoun, pronounced [kɔmˈplɛksə]. Komplize is at rank #33,150, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kɔmˈpliːt͡sə].

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 39835, this pair ranks #1,525,529 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Komplexe vs Komplize

Shared letters: eklmop. Private to "Komplexe": x. Private to "Komplize": iz.

"Komplexe" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCV  ·  "Komplize" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Komplexekkomplexe · kmoplexe · komlpexe · kommplexe · kompelxe · kompleex · komplexxe · kompllexe
  • Komplizekkomplize · kmoplize · komlpize · kommplize · kompilze · kompliez · komplizze · kompllize

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Komplexe" for "Komplize" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([kɔmˈplɛksə] versus [kɔmˈpliːt͡sə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Komplexe" or "Komplize"?
"Komplexe" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,685 in our German list, against #33,150 for "Komplize". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Komplexe" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Komplize" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,525,529 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Komplexe" and "Komplize" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Komplize vs Komplizen". 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 #1,525,529 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