Which to use
“complex” is an adjective and “comply” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,449
- “complex” frequency rank
- #6,667
- “comply” frequency rank
- 8116
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | complex | comply |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Made up of multiple parts; composite; not simple. | To yield assent; to accord; to acquiesce, agree, consent; to adapt oneself, to conform. |
Where the eye mixes complex and comply
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses complex with comply
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: complex is /ˈkɒmplɛks/ while comply is /kəmˈplaɪ/. 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 8116, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
complex is recorded at frequency rank #1,449, classified as anadj, pronounced /ˈkɒmplɛks/. comply is at rank #6,667, tagged as averb, pronounced /kəmˈplaɪ/.
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 8116, this pair ranks #504,054 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of complex vs comply
Shared letters: clmop. Private to "complex": ex. Private to "comply": y.
"complex" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "comply" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "complex" for "comply" ever safe?
In ordinary English text, does "complex" or "comply" show up more?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "complex" and "comply" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "complex" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "comply" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #504,054 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "complex" and "comply" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "comply vs coolly". 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 #504,054 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.