complexion

/kəmˈplɛkʃən/

//kəmˈplɛkʃən// noun

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

"complexion" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“complexion” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,794. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,794
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The quality, colour, or appearance of the skin on the face.

Corpus desk

Index EN-complexion · complexion · English

complexion · rank #19,794 · 15 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #19,794
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH commuting

Nearest frequency peer: commuting (-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 “complexion”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “complexion” 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).

complexion vs complexity
80% similar
complexion vs completion
90% similar

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

Key facts for complexion
PropertyValue
Headwordcomplexion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kəmˈplɛkʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#19,794
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “complexion”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).complexionlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “commuting” (#19,793), “compulsive” (#19,795), “commemoration” (#19,792). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “complexion” is #19,794. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around complexion (IPA /kəmˈplɛkʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #19,794 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for complexion, with forms such as "ccomplexion", "cmoplexion", and "comlpexion". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "complexity", "completion", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English complexion (“temperament”), from Old French complexion (French complexion), from Medieval Latin complexiō (“complexion, constitution”), from complector, past participle complexus (“to entwine, encompass”). The correct English form is complexion, spelled C-O-M-P-L-E-X-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality, colour, or appearance of the skin on the face.
  2. 2
    The outward appearance of something.
  3. 3
    Outlook, attitude, or point of view.
  4. 4
    The combination of humours making up one's physiological "temperament", being either hot or cold, and moist or dry.
  5. 5
    An arrangement.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how complexion appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. a rugged complexion
  2. a sunburnt complexion

Etymology

From Middle English complexion (“temperament”), from Old French complexion (French complexion), from Medieval Latin complexiō (“complexion, constitution”), from complector, past participle complexus (“to entwine, encompass”).

This word in other languages

tez(Español)teint(Français)Teint(Deutsch)tez(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccomplexion
  • cmoplexion
  • comlpexion
  • commplexion
  • compelxion
  • compleixon
  • complexino
  • complexionn
  • complexoin
  • complexxion
  • compllexion
  • complxeion
  • compplexion
  • copmlexion
  • ocmplexion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of complexion - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccomplexion1cmoplexion2comlpexion2commplexion1compelxion2compleixon2complexino2complexionn1
Edit distance from "complexion"

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 "complexion"?
"complexion" is spelled C-O-M-P-L-E-X-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kəmˈplɛkʃən/.
What does "complexion" mean?
As a noun, "complexion" means: The quality, colour, or appearance of the skin on the face.
What words are commonly confused with "complexion"?
"complexion" is commonly confused with "complexity", "completion". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "complexion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "complexion" is /kəmˈplɛkʃən/. 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 "complexion"?
From Middle English complexion (“temperament”), from Old French complexion (French complexion), from Medieval Latin complexiō (“complexion, constitution”), from complector, past participle complexus (“to entwine, encompass”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

compulsive#19,795congenital#19,796corrective#19,799dishwasher#19,816

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

crumbling15 variantsbelievable15 variantsgenerously15 variantshousekeeper15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list