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Understanding the difference between commonly confused words will help you avoid making errors in English usage. Let’s examine the difference between the following:
compliment
A compliment is a flattering remark, a polite expression of praise or admiration, or an act of civility or courtesy. As a plural, compliments means good wishes or regards. Compliment can also be a verb, meaning to praise or congratulate someone: to pay them a compliment.
Jenny beamed at the compliment her co-worker paid her about her successful project.
Please extend our compliments to your grandparents when you see them.
complement
As a noun, complement means something that completes or brings to perfection, something that goes nicely with another thing, or a quantity required to make a group complete. As a verb, complement means to add or supplement something to enhance or improve it or make it perfect.
Brendan’s silk tie complemented his Italian-made suit.
To use both words in a sentence:
Sandra complimented Craig on how well the wine he had chosen complemented the meal.☛ To help you remember how to spell each word, here’s a trick: remember that a compliment makes someone smile, and something that is a complement completes another thing.
Photo credits:
Photo 1: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Photo 2: Wikimedia Commons
