How to pronounce “complex”
Say “complex” in 2 beats
complex
/ˈkɑmplɛks/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /kɒmplɛks/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- compkɑmstress
- lexplɛks
- IPA (American)
- /ˈkɑmplɛks/
- IPA (British)
- /kɒmplɛks/
- Also accepted
- /kəmˈplɛks/
- Respelling
- KAHM-pleks
- Syllables
- 2 — COMP-lex
- Stress
- Stress the first syllable: COMP-lex. “comp” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
- Part of speech
- noun, adjective
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/ˈkɑmplɛks/
/kɒmplɛks/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “complex” means
- noun
a conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts
“the complex of shopping malls, houses, and roads created a new town”
- noun
a compound described in terms of the central atom to which other atoms are bound or coordinated
- noun
(psychoanalysis) a combination of emotions and impulses that have been rejected from awareness but still influence a person's behavior
Say it in a sentence
“The whole leisure complex closed for repairs last autumn.”“complex”, answered
How do you pronounce “complex”?
“complex” is pronounced /ˈkɑmplɛks/ (KAHM-pleks) in American English and /kɒmplɛks/ in British English, and /kəmˈplɛks/ is also accepted — 2 syllables, stressed on “comp”. Build it as COMP-lex, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.
How many syllables does “complex” have?
2: comp · lex. The beat lands on the first, “comp”.
Is “complex” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /ˈkɑmplɛks/ (KAHM-pleks); British English says /kɒmplɛks/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “complex” mean?
As a noun: a conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts For example: “the complex of shopping malls, houses, and roads created a new town” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “complex”?
Stress the first syllable: COMP-lex. “comp” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllable falls away from it.
Now say “complex” and see every sound
Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.