Complement or compliment: which is correct?
Correct
complement (to complete or go well with) / compliment (praise)
Avoid
compliment (for "goes well with": "the wine compliments the dish")
Avoid
complement (for praise)
Summary
Correct: complement (to complete or go well with) / compliment (praise) — Avoid: compliment (for "goes well with": "the wine compliments the dish") / complement (for praise). Complement = something that completes or goes well with another thing; compliment = an expression of praise, or to praise.
- Part of speech
- noun / verb
- Source
- Merriam-Webster
Why
Merriam-Webster: complement shares its root with complete (something that completes); compliment, spelled with an i, is a polite expression of praise. Both are nouns and verbs, so the spelling carries the whole difference.
Examples
- The sauce complements the fish perfectly.
- She paid him a sincere compliment.
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- Merriam-Webster · Oxford English Dictionary / Oxford spelling · SCOWL
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