‘Compliment’ and ‘complement’ are among the trickiest pairs
in English: only one letter separates them, and both once came from the same word.
One is a kind remark you give someone; the other is something that completes or
improves what it is added to. Mix them up and a sentence meant to flatter can end up
saying something quite different.
Getting this pair right matters more than it first appears. In an essay, an email or
an exam answer, the wrong choice quietly shifts your meaning, so your reader notices
the slip instead of your point. Learning to tell the two apart builds a sharper vocabulary and the confidence to
write exactly what you mean.
Definitions and Origins
‘Compliment’ and ‘complement’ sound almost identical, but one is about praise and the other is about completion. What makes them so easy to muddle is their shared history: until the 17th century, they were spelt the same way, both tracing back to the Latin verb complere, meaning “to fill up” or “to complete”.
What Does “Compliment” Mean?
“Compliment” is a noun or a verb that has to do with praise. As
a noun, it is a polite expression of admiration or
approval. As a verb, it means to express that admiration to someone. It entered
English in the 1570s to describe the polite, admiring things good manners call for you to
say. The “compliment” spelling itself was adopted after around 1650, arriving via
French and Italian forms that traced back to the Latin complere.
For example, “She gave me a lovely compliment about my speech,” or “He
complimented the chef on the meal.”
The plural, “compliments”, also means good wishes or regards, as in “Please
give my compliments to your parents.”
If used as a phrase “with compliments” or “with the compliments of”,
it is a polite, formal expression when presenting someone with a gift at no charge, as a
gesture of goodwill by the giver. For instance, “This fruit basket is with compliments
of the hotel.”
What Does “Complement” Mean?
“Complement” is a noun or a verb that has to do with completing.
As a noun, it is something that completes or brings another thing to
perfection, or the full quantity needed to make something whole, as in “a full
complement of players”. As a verb, it means to add to something in a way that improves
or completes it. It came directly from the Latin complementum, meaning “that
which fills up or completes”.
For example, “The wine is a perfect complement to the cheese,” or “The red
dress complements her skin tone.”
Usage and Context
The quickest way to choose the right word is to ask what the sentence is doing: giving praise, or completing something. If it is praise, you want “compliment”. If one thing is completing or enhancing another, you want “complement”.
Using “Compliment” in Sentences
When you use “compliment”, someone is giving or receiving praise. The subject is the person offering or getting the kind words:
- The teacher (subject) gave Aisha a compliment on her essay.
- She (subject) blushed when her coach complimented her performance.
- The chef (subject) received many compliments on the meal.
- He (subject) paid his neighbour a warm compliment about her garden.
- I (subject) would like to compliment you on your excellent presentation.
Using “Complement” in Sentences
When you use “complement”, one thing is completing or improving another. The subject is the thing that adds to or completes something else:
- The scarf (subject) complements her dress perfectly.
- A good sauce (subject) complements the flavour of the dish.
- The two players (subject) complement each other on the court.
- Fresh herbs (subject) complement the grilled fish beautifully.
- The new designer (subject) complements the team of engineers.
Compliment vs Complement: The Difference at a Glance
If you remember nothing else, remember this: a compliment is praise, and a complement completes. The table below sums up the difference with examples.
| Word | Part of speech | Core meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliment | Noun / verb | A remark of praise or admiration | “That is a lovely compliment.” |
| Complement | Noun / verb | Something that completes or enhances | “The tie complements his suit.” |
| Complimentary | Adjective | Praising, or given free of charge | “We got complimentary drinks.” |
| Complementary | Adjective | Completing or combining well | “They have complementary skills.” |
Complimentary or Complementary? The “Free” Trap
“Complimentary” and “complementary” trip up even careful writers, and the confusion usually comes down to one meaning: free. “Complimentary” is the one that can mean “given free of charge”, because a free gift is offered as a kind of compliment. “Complementary” has nothing to do with cost; it means two things go well together or complete each other.
- Complimentary (free, or praising) — “The hotel offered complimentary breakfast,” or “She made some complimentary remarks about my work.”
- Complementary (completing, matching) — “Red and green are complementary colours,” or “Their complementary strengths made them a strong team.”
So the free upgrade at a hotel is always complimentary, never complementary.
Common Phrases That Cause Confusion
A few set phrases catch people out because the wrong spelling still looks plausible. Here are the ones searched for most often.
“With Compliments” or “With Complements”?
The correct phrase is “with compliments”. A “with compliments” slip tucked into a parcel is a small note of goodwill from the sender, so it takes the praise word. The same is true of the polite phrase “with my compliments”, which means “as my gift” or “with my regards”.
“A Full Complement” or “A Full Compliment”?
The correct phrase is “a full complement”. Here “complement” means the complete number or quantity needed, such as “a full complement of staff” or “the ship sailed with its full complement of crew”. Since the idea is completeness, not praise, it takes the “e” spelling.
How to Remember the Difference Easily
The easiest trick is to match each word to a related word that shares a letter. “Complement” shares its “e” with “complete”, and completing is exactly what a complement does. “Compliment” contains an “i”, which you can link to the “I” in “I appreciate you”, because a compliment is a nice thing you say to someone. Match the “e” to “complete” and the “i” to “I appreciate you”, and you will pick the right word every time.
Synonyms and Variants of “Compliment”
Praise
“Praise” means to express warm approval or admiration. It is one of the closest
everyday synonyms for compliment.
Example: “The judges praised her confident delivery.”
Commend
“Commend” means to praise formally or officially. It is often used in more
serious or professional settings.
Example: “The principal commended the students for their
honesty.”
Flatter
“Flatter” means to compliment, sometimes excessively or insincerely, to please
someone.
Example: “He tried to flatter his way into her good
books.”
Congratulate
“Congratulate” means to praise someone for an achievement or piece of good
fortune.
Example: “I congratulated my friend on winning the
debate.”
Synonyms and Variants of “Complement”
Complete
“Complete” means to make something whole by adding what is missing. It captures
the core sense of complement as a verb.
Example: “The final piece completed the puzzle.”
Enhance
“Enhance” means to improve the quality or value of something. A complement often
works by enhancing what it is paired with.
Example: “Soft lighting enhances the mood of the room.”
Accompany
“Accompany” means to go along with something as a matching addition.
Example: “A crisp salad accompanies the main course.”
Round Off
“Round off” means to finish something in a satisfying way, bringing it to
completion.
Example: “A slice of cake rounded off the meal nicely.”
Conclusion
Although “compliment” and “complement” differ by a single letter,
choosing the right one keeps your meaning clear, whether you are praising a friend or
describing how two things fit together. Once you connect “complement” with
“complete” and “compliment” with a kind word you say, the choice
becomes second nature.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Compliment and complement are pronounced almost the same way, which is a large part of why they get confused. Both begin with “kom-pli” and are stressed on the first syllable. In careful speech the middle vowel differs slightly, with compliment leaning towards “kom-pli-ment” and complement towards “kom-ple-ment”, but in everyday conversation the two sound near enough identical that only the spelling and meaning reliably tell them apart.
Compliment is the one linked to “free”: the adjective complimentary can mean given free of charge, as in a complimentary breakfast or complimentary tickets. This sense grew out of the idea of praise, since a free gift is offered as a kind of courtesy. Complement and complementary have nothing to do with cost; they refer to things that complete or go well together, such as complementary colours.
Compliment and complement are usually treated as near-homophones rather than exact ones. In relaxed everyday speech they often sound identical, which is why they are so easily mixed up. In careful pronunciation, though, the middle vowel differs slightly, so strictly speaking they are not perfect homophones. Whichever way you say them, the spelling and meaning are what keep the two words distinct.
Use compliment when someone gives or receives praise, as in “She complimented his essay,” and use complement when one thing completes or improves another, as in “The sauce complements the fish.” A quick check is to ask what the sentence is doing: if it is about kind words, choose compliment; if it is about two things working well together, choose complement.
Free food is complimentary, spelt with an “i”. Complimentary is the word that means given free of charge, so a complimentary meal, drink or dessert is one you are not charged for. Complementary, with an “e”, means completing or matching and has nothing to do with cost, so “complementary food” would only make sense if you meant dishes that go well together rather than food provided free.
To compliment someone means to say something kind or admiring to them, praising their appearance, work, or actions. For example, telling a friend their essay was well written is a compliment. As a verb it describes the act of offering that praise, and as a noun a compliment is the admiring remark itself. It is always spelt with an “i” and has nothing to do with completing something.
Use complement when one thing completes, improves, or goes well with another, as in “The scarf complements her dress.” As a verb it describes how two things enhance each other, and as a noun it can mean the full amount needed, as in “a full complement of players”. A useful check is that complement shares its “e” with complete, which is exactly what a complement does.
Depending on your meaning, you can replace complement with complete, enhance, accompany, or round off. Use complete when something makes another thing whole, enhance when it improves quality, and accompany when it goes alongside as a matching addition. For example, “Fresh herbs complement the fish” could become “Fresh herbs enhance the fish.” Choose the synonym that best fits whether you mean completing, improving, or pairing.
It is complimentary coffee, spelt with an “i”. Complimentary means given free of charge, so a free cup of coffee offered by a café or hotel is complimentary. Complementary, with an “e”, means completing or matching and has nothing to do with cost, so “complementary coffee” would only make sense if you meant coffee that pairs well with something else, such as a dessert.
Both are correct, so the better choice depends on tone. Free is plain and clear, ideal for everyday use and casual writing. Complimentary is more formal and polished, often used in hotels, restaurants, and business settings to make an offer sound gracious, as in “complimentary breakfast.” In an exam or essay, either works, though free is usually simpler and easier for readers to follow.
Yes, a person can be described as complementary when their skills or qualities complete or balance someone else’s. For example, two teammates with complementary strengths work well together because each supplies what the other lacks. Here complementary is spelt with an “e”, linked to complete. This is different from complimentary with an “i”, which would describe someone who is giving praise or offering something free.
Good alternatives to compliment include praise, commend, flatter, and congratulate, each with a slightly different shade. Praise is the closest everyday synonym, commend is more formal, flatter suggests praise that may be excessive or insincere, and congratulate marks an achievement. For example, “The judges praised her delivery” or “The principal commended the students.” Choose the word that matches how warm or formal you want to sound.