The difference between compliment and complement.

The English language has plenty of words that sound alike but mean different things. "Compliment" and "complement" are two of the most commonly mixed up, and it is an easy mistake to correct once the distinction is clear.

Definitions

• Compliment is a positive remark, an expression of praise or admiration for someone's qualities, achievements or appearance.
• Complement is something that completes or enhances another thing. It describes a part that brings balance to a whole.

In a sentence

• "She received a compliment on her artwork." The word describes the positive remark someone made about the artwork.
• "The colours in the painting complement each other." The word describes how the colours work together to complete the overall effect.

More examples

Compliment:

• "I received a lovely compliment on my new haircut."
• "She complimented him on his leadership."

Complement:

• "The red shoes complemented her blue dress."
• "The sweet and savoury flavours complemented each other well."

The quick way to remember it

Compliment is about praise, said with an "i" for "I like it". Complement is about completing something, spelled with an "e" like "complete". If a sentence is about someone saying something nice, it is "compliment". If it is about two things fitting together, it is "complement".

Mixing these up is one of the most common small errors in student writing, and it is an easy one to fix once a child knows to check for it.