Which to use
“complica” and “complicar” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,412
- “complica” frequency rank
- #24,067
- “complicar” frequency rank
- 37479
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | complica | complicar |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de complicar. | Mezclar, combinar o unir cosas diversas entre sí. |
Where the eye mixes complica and complicar
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. complica runs 8 letters (CVCCCVCV) against complicar's 9 (CVCCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses complica with complicar
A purely visual mix-up. complica ([kõmˈplika]) 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 differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “complica” sits inside “complicar”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37479, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
complica is recorded at frequency rank #13,412, classified as averb, pronounced [kõmˈplika]. 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 37479, this pair ranks #175,094 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of complica vs complicar
Shared letters: acilmop. Private to "complica": -. Private to "complicar": r.
"complica" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCV · "complicar" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "complica" and "complicar" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "complica" or "complicar"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "complica" 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 #175,094 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "complica" 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 #175,094 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.