complete

Name: complete, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/kəmˈpliːt/

//kəmˈpliːt// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“complete” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #825 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#825
frequency rank, English: 8
letters: 12
tracked misspellings: 8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To finish; to make done; to reach the end.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

complete vs complex

75% similar

complete vs compute

75% similar

complete vs completed

89% similar

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

Key facts for complete
Property	Value
Headword	complete
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/kəmˈpliːt/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#825
Misspellings tracked	12
Confusable pairs	8
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “complete” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). complete lands here:

#825

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for complete is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kəmˈpliːt/. Corpus data places it at rank #825 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for complete, with forms such as "ccomplete", "cmoplete", and "comlpete". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "complex", "compute", "completed", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English compleet (“full, complete”), borrowed from Old French complet or Latin completus, past participle of compleō (“I fill up, I complete”) (whence also complement, compliment), from com- + pleō (“I fill, I fulfill”) (whence also deplete, rep… The correct English form is complete, spelled C-O-M-P-L-E-T-E.

Definition

1
To finish; to make done; to reach the end.
2
To make whole or entire.
3
To call from the small blind in an unraised pot.

Etymology

From Middle English compleet (“full, complete”), borrowed from Old French complet or Latin completus, past participle of compleō (“I fill up, I complete”) (whence also complement, compliment), from com- + pleō (“I fill, I fulfill”) (whence also deplete, replete, plenty), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- (“to fill”) (English full).

This word in other languages

completar(Español)accomplir(Français)beenden(Deutsch)terminar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccomplete,cmoplete,comlpete,commplete,compelte,compleet,complette,compllete,compltee,compplete,copmlete,ocmplete

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of complete - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "complete"

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 "complete"?

"complete" is spelled C-O-M-P-L-E-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kəmˈpliːt/.

What does "complete" mean?

As a verb, "complete" means: To finish; to make done; to reach the end.

What words are commonly confused with "complete"?

"complete" is commonly confused with "complex", "compute", "completed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "complete"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "complete" is /kəmˈpliːt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What is the origin of the word "complete"?

From Middle English compleet (“full, complete”), borrowed from Old French complet or Latin completus, past participle of compleō (“I fill up, I complete”) (whence also complement, compliment), from com- + pleō (“I fill, I fulfill”) (whence also de... See the full etymology section above for more details.

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.

Using “complete”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is C-O-M-P-L-E-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /kəmˈpliːt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “complex” - see the side-by-side comparison. complete vs complex
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.