completarsevscomplicarseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“completarse” and “complicarse” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#41,253
“completarse” frequency rank
#42,893
“complicarse” frequency rank
84146
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature completarse complicarse
Definition Forma pronominal de completar. Complicar (uso pronominal de ...)

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set completarse and complicarse apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
completarse
11 ch
complicarse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. completarse ([kõmpleˈt̪aɾse]) and complicarse ([kõmpliˈkaɾse]) 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 84146, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

completarse is recorded at frequency rank #41,253, classified as averb, pronounced [kõmpleˈt̪aɾse]. complicarse is at rank #42,893, tagged as averb, pronounced [kõmpliˈkaɾse].

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 84146, this pair ranks #7,351 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of completarse vs complicarse

Shared letters: acelmoprs. Private to "completarse": t. Private to "complicarse": i.

"completarse" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCVCVCCV  ·  "complicarse" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • completarseccompletarse · cmopletarse · comlpetarse · commpletarse · compeltarse · compleatrse · completarce · completares
  • complicarseccomplicarse · cmoplicarse · comlpicarse · commplicarse · compilcarse · complciarse · compliacrse · complicarce

Frequency comparison

completarse#41,253
complicarse#42,893

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "completarse" and "complicarse" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kõmpleˈt̪aɾse] versus [kõmpliˈkaɾse]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "completarse" or "complicarse"?
"completarse" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #41,253 in our Spanish list, against #42,893 for "complicarse". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering completarse vs complicarse

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “completarse” 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