complacervscómplicesWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: complacer is a verb, cómplices is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“complacer” is a verb and “cómplices” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#16,539
“complacer” frequency rank
#10,480
“cómplices” frequency rank
27019
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature complacer cómplices
Definition Causar agrado, gusto, satisfacción o placer. Forma del plural de cómplice.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set complacer and cómplices apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
complacer
9 ch
cómplices

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: complacer is [kõmplaˈseɾ] while cómplices is [ˈkõmplises]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27019, 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]. cómplices is at rank #10,480, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈkõmplises].

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 27019, this pair ranks #228,838 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of complacer vs cómplices

Shared letters: celmp. Private to "complacer": aor. Private to "cómplices": isó.

"complacer" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC  ·  "cómplices" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • complacerccomplacer · cmoplacer · comlpacer · commplacer · compalcer · complaccer · complacerr · complacre

Frequency comparison

complacer#16,539
cómplices#10,480

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "complacer" and "cómplices" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "complacer" is a verb and "cómplices" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "complacer" or "cómplices"?
"cómplices" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,480 in our Spanish list, against #16,539 for "complacer". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering complacer vs cómplices

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “complacer”; for an adjective, it's “cómplices”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “complacer” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list