complains

/kəmˈpleɪnz/

//kəmˈpleɪnz// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"complains" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“complains” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,587. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,587
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - third-person singular simple present indicative of complain

Corpus desk

Index EN-complains · complains · English

complains · rank #15,587 · 14 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,587
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH cleanse

Nearest frequency peer: cleanse (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “complains”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “complains” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

complains vs complies
78% similar
complains vs complaint
89% similar
complains vs complying
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for complains
PropertyValue
Headwordcomplains
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kəmˈpleɪnz/
Letters9
Frequency rank#15,587
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “complains”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).complainslands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “cleanse” (#15,586), “concord” (#15,588), “char” (#15,585). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “complains” is #15,587. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around complains (IPA /kəmˈpleɪnz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #15,587 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Dominant gloss: "third-person singular simple present indicative of complain".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for complains, with forms such as "ccomplains", "cmoplains", and "comlpains". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "complies", "complaint", "complying", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is complains, spelled C-O-M-P-L-A-I-N-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    third-person singular simple present indicative of complain

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccomplains
  • cmoplains
  • comlpains
  • commplains
  • compalins
  • complainns
  • complainss
  • complaisn
  • complanis
  • complians
  • compllains
  • compplains
  • copmlains
  • ocmplains

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of complains - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ccomplains1cmoplains2comlpains2commplains1compalins2complainns1complainss1complaisn2
Edit distance from "complains"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "complains"?
"complains" is spelled C-O-M-P-L-A-I-N-S. The IPA pronunciation is /kəmˈpleɪnz/.
What does "complains" mean?
As a verb, "complains" means: third-person singular simple present indicative of complain
What words are commonly confused with "complains"?
"complains" is commonly confused with "complies", "complaint", "complying". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "complains"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "complains" is /kəmˈpleɪnz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "complains" come from?
"complains" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "complains", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

connector#15,589denounced#15,599espionage#15,605flashback#15,613

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

biomedical14 variantsvirginity14 variantsintrinsic14 variantstriggering14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list