complication

/ˌkɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/

//ˌkɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən// noun

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

"complication" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“complication” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,294. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,294
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
19
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act or process of complicating.

Corpus desk

Index EN-complication · complication · English

complication · rank #19,294 · 19 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #19,294
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH commando

Nearest frequency peer: commando (-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 “complication”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “complication” 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).

complication vs compilation
83% similar

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

Key facts for complication
PropertyValue
Headwordcomplication
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌkɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
Letters12
Frequency rank#19,294
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “complication”

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).complicationlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “commando” (#19,293), “computed” (#19,295), “Comey” (#19,292). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “complication” is #19,294. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around complication (IPA /ˌkɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #19,294 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for complication, with forms such as "ccomplication", "cmoplication", and "comlpication". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "compilation", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French complication, from Latin complicatio, complicationem. Morphologically complicate + -ion. The correct English form is complication, spelled C-O-M-P-L-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act or process of complicating.
  2. 2
    The state of being complicated; intricate or confused relation of parts; complexity.
  3. 3
    A person who doesn't fit in with the main scheme of things; an interloper.
  4. 4
    A disease or diseases, or adventitious circumstances or conditions, coexistent with and modifying a primary disease, but not necessarily connected with it.
  5. 5
    A feature beyond basic time display in a timepiece.
  6. 6
    A twisting or intertwining.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Obsessed, he was after a watch that contained the greatest number of complications in the boldest combinations in the smallest space imaginable.
  2. In their final year, each student must make their own watch with a complication—from a tourbillon to a chiming mode to having a date display.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French complication, from Latin complicatio, complicationem. Morphologically complicate + -ion.

Synonyms

complicationentanglementintricacysnarlwheel within a wheel

This word in other languages

complicación(Español)complication(Français)Komplikation(Deutsch)complicação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccomplication
  • cmoplication
  • comlpication
  • commplication
  • compilcation
  • complciation
  • compliaction
  • complicaiton
  • complicasion
  • complicatino
  • complicationn
  • complicatoin
  • complicattion
  • compliccation
  • complictaion
  • compllication
  • compplication
  • copmlication
  • ocmplication

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of complication - 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.

ccomplication1cmoplication2comlpication2commplication1compilcation2complciation2compliaction2complicaiton2
Edit distance from "complication"

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 "complication"?
"complication" is spelled C-O-M-P-L-I-C-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/.
What does "complication" mean?
As a noun, "complication" means: The act or process of complicating.
What words are commonly confused with "complication"?
"complication" is commonly confused with "compilation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "complication"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "complication" is /ˌkɒm.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/. 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 "complication"?
Borrowed from Middle French complication, from Latin complicatio, complicationem. Morphologically complicate + -ion. 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 "complication", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

denomination#19,309dissatisfied#19,314attributable#19,266hypocritical#19,363

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (19 here; floor ≥5).

visualization19 variantsconservatory19 variantsfermentation19 variantsStaffordshire19 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list