Which to use
“complacer” and “complicar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,539
- “complacer” frequency rank
- #24,067
- “complicar” frequency rank
- 40606
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | complacer | complicar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Causar agrado, gusto, satisfacción o placer. | Mezclar, combinar o unir cosas diversas entre sí. |
Where the eye mixes complacer and complicar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. complacer and complicar follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCCCVCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses complacer with complicar
A purely visual mix-up. complacer ([kõmplaˈseɾ]) and complicar ([kõmpliˈkaɾ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40606, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
complacer is recorded at frequency rank #16,539, classified as averb, pronounced [kõmplaˈseɾ]. complicar is at rank #24,067, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõmpliˈkaɾ].
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 40606, this pair ranks #158,171 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of complacer vs complicar
Shared letters: aclmopr. Private to "complacer": e. Private to "complicar": i.
"complacer" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC · "complicar" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "complacer" and "complicar" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "complacer" or "complicar"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "complacer" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "complicar" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #158,171 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "complacer" and "complicar" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "complicar vs complice". 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 #158,171 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.