It’s easy to confuse the words complement and compliment because they are homophones and have such similar spelling. They also can both be used as a noun or a verb.
If you find it difficult to remember the difference between compliment vs complement, keep reading for a full explanation with example sentences, plus a couple of tricks to help you remember the rules.
What’s the difference between compliment vs complement?
Complement and compliment can both be nouns or verbs. Let’s look at the noun forms of these words first.
A complement completes something
A complement is something that completes, makes up a whole, or brings to perfection. It can also mean the quantity or number required to complete something (often in the phrase ‘a full complement’):
- This sauce is an excellent complement to salmon.
- We were given a full complement of cutlery as a wedding gift.
There are other, more technical meanings related to grammar, geometry, music and mathematics. However, in each of these the basic idea is that something is being made whole by a complement.
A compliment is an expression of praise, respect or admiration
A compliment is some form of good wishes, offered out of admiration or respect.
- I have received so many compliments about my new haircut!
- This meal is delicious; give my compliments to the chef.
Do you receive a compliment or a complement?
Given the meanings mentioned above, it’s generally correct to receive a compliment (to receive praise, congratulations or admiration).
The only time you would receive a complement is in the sense of someone giving you a full set of something. In this case, it’s more likely to be said that you ‘received a full complement of …’.
Using complement or compliment as a verb
The verbs complement and compliment are both transitive, meaning that they require a direct object. The meanings of these verbs are linked to their meanings as nouns, so once you understand one, the other should follow naturally.
To complement means to make complete, make perfect, or serve as a complement to. When we talk about things complementing each other, it means they enhance each other or make each other better:
- That dress really complements your eyes.
- Can you recommend a wine that will complement Italian food?
To compliment means to pay a compliment to; to praise, commend, congratulate or show admiration to:
- I mustn’t forget to compliment Sarah on the speech she gave at the conference.
- Adam rarely compliments people but when he does, you know it’s genuine.
When you compliment someone, you might tell them they “look good” or “look well”. Read our article about good vs well to learn which is correct in any situation.
Do things complement or compliment each other?
We would say that two things complement each other, meaning that they go well together or enhance one another.
Complementary vs complimentary
The adjectives complementary and complimentary work in pretty much the same way; something ‘complementary’ completes or enhances another thing, while something ‘complimentary’ expresses praise or flatters. ‘Complimentary’ can also describe something given for free as a courtesy:
- Today in art class we learned about complementary colours.
- I hope the play receives complimentary reviews on opening night.
- Please accept these complimentary tickets as a token of our appreciation.
How to remember the difference between complement and compliment
When deciding whether to use complement or compliment, the only difference in spelling is an ‘e’ versus an ‘i’. So, let’s use these letters to help us remember the difference.
One trick is to remember that complement (with an ‘e’) means complete.
Another tip is to think “I like to compliment people”.
If you have any other good ways to remember the difference between complement vs compliment then please share by leaving a comment below.
More easily confused words
Compliment and complement are not the only words in English that get mixed up because of their similar spelling and pronunciation. Consider raise vs rise, affect vs effect, or recur vs reoccur as some other examples. Or, browse some more topics below and see if there are any that you need help understanding.
