BeLikeNative

Compliments vs Complements — What’s the Difference?

Compliments are expressions of praise, admiration, or flattery. Complements are things that complete, enhance, or go well with something else. The key difference: compliments are about saying nice things, while complements are about completing or pairing well. Many writers confuse these because they sound identical when spoken and differ by only one letter.

Why Getting This Right Matters

Confusing “compliments” and “complements” is one of the most common homophone errors in professional writing — and one of the hardest for spell-checkers to catch, since both words are valid. In a business proposal, writing “our services compliment your existing infrastructure” accidentally says your services praise your infrastructure rather than enhance it. In a cover letter, “my skills compliment the team’s needs” sounds like flattery rather than capability. In academic writing, mixing up “complementary” and “complimentary” can change a technical term’s meaning entirely — complementary angles in geometry have nothing to do with free breakfasts.

What Does “Compliments” Mean?

“Compliment” (with an “i”) refers to a polite expression of praise or admiration. As a noun, a compliment is the kind remark itself: “That was a lovely compliment.” As a verb, to compliment means to give praise: “He complimented her work.” The word entered English from the French compliment, which in turn came from the Italian complimento, a word for fulfilling social courtesies.

Compliments appear everywhere in daily life. You compliment a colleague on a presentation. A restaurant sends a dessert “with our compliments” (meaning free of charge, as a courtesy). Someone pays you a compliment on your outfit. In each case, the word involves interpersonal praise, courtesy, or polite expression.

The adjective form is “complimentary,” which has two meanings: expressing praise (“complimentary feedback”) and provided free of charge (“complimentary breakfast”). Both connect to the root idea of courtesy — giving something nice without obligation. This dual meaning of “complimentary” is worth remembering, as it appears frequently in hospitality and business writing.

In terms of register, “compliment” works across all levels of formality. In casual speech, you might say “Nice jacket — that looks great on you.” In formal writing, the same sentiment becomes “I would like to compliment the committee on its thorough report.” The phrase “with compliments” carries a distinctly formal, even ceremonial tone, and is standard in diplomatic and corporate correspondence. Understanding this range helps writers match the word to their audience without sounding either stiff or overly casual.

What Does “Complements” Mean?

“Complement” (with an “e”) means something that completes or enhances something else. As a noun, a complement is the completing part: “The sauce is a perfect complement to the fish.” As a verb, to complement means to complete, enhance, or go well together: “Her skills complement his perfectly.” The word comes from the Latin complementum, meaning “that which fills up or completes.”

Complements appear across many fields. In grammar, a complement is a word or phrase that completes the meaning of a verb (a subject complement follows a linking verb: “She is a doctor”). In mathematics, complementary angles add up to 90 degrees. In color theory, complementary colors sit opposite each other on the color wheel. In all cases, the core idea is completion or enhancement through pairing.

The adjective form is “complementary,” meaning serving to complete or enhance. “Complementary skills” are skills that, combined, form a complete set. “Complementary medicine” supplements conventional treatment. Unlike “complimentary” (with an “i”), “complementary” never means free of charge. This distinction between “complimentary” and “complementary” is one of the most tested points in professional editing.

Key Differences Between Compliments and Complements

Despite sounding identical, these words operate in entirely different conceptual territories. Understanding the distinction will improve both your writing and your editing.

Core concept: Compliments (with “i”) involve praise between people. Complements (with “e”) involve completion or enhancement between things. If you are talking about human interaction and kind words, use “compliment.” If you are talking about things that go well together or complete each other, use “complement.”

The letter clue: Compliment has an “i” — think “I like to give compliments” or “I praise you.” Complement has an “e” — think “complete” and “enhance.” This one-letter mnemonic is the most reliable way to keep them straight.

Adjective confusion: “Complimentary” (with “i”) means praising or free of charge. “Complementary” (with “e”) means completing or enhancing. A “complimentary review” is a positive review. A “complementary review” would be a review that fills a gap left by another review. These adjective forms cause even more confusion than the base words, so pay extra attention when the “-ary” suffix appears.

Usage in professional writing: According to Merriam-Webster and the Chicago Manual of Style, these words are never interchangeable. Using the wrong one is considered a clear error, not a stylistic choice. In academic and business prose, this mistake can undermine your credibility. For more on precision in word choice, see our guide to in regard vs in regards.

Why non-native speakers struggle: This pair is especially difficult for learners whose first languages use a single word for both concepts. In Spanish, for example, complemento and cumplido are distinct, but the English spelling overlap creates confusion that doesn’t exist in the source language. Speakers of languages like Mandarin or Arabic, where neither concept maps neatly onto a single near-homophone, often default to whichever spelling they encountered first and use it for both meanings. Targeted practice with minimal pairs — writing sentences that use both words correctly in a single paragraph — is one of the most effective drills for overcoming this habit.

Compliments vs Complements — Examples in Context

Correct: She received several compliments on her presentation.
She received several complements on her presentation.

Correct: The red scarf complements her black coat beautifully.
The red scarf compliments her black coat beautifully.

Correct: He complimented the chef on the outstanding meal.
He complemented the chef on the outstanding meal.

Correct: The two departments have complementary strengths.
The two departments have complimentary strengths.

Correct: The hotel offers complimentary Wi-Fi to all guests.
The hotel offers complementary Wi-Fi to all guests.

Correct: A full complement of staff was on duty that evening.
A full compliment of staff was on duty that evening.

Correct: Please give my compliments to the team for a job well done.
Please give my complements to the team for a job well done.

Correct: The new software complements our existing workflow tools.
The new software compliments our existing workflow tools.

Correct: It was meant as a compliment, not a criticism.
It was meant as a complement, not a criticism.

Professional email: “The new analytics dashboard complements our existing reporting tools by filling gaps in real-time data.” ✓

Common mistake: “The new analytics dashboard compliments our existing reporting tools.” ✗ (The dashboard is enhancing the tools, not praising them — use “complement” with an “e.”)

Academic writing: “The qualitative findings complement the quantitative data, providing a more complete picture of participant behavior.” ✓

Common mistake: “The qualitative findings compliment the quantitative data.” ✗ (Research findings complete each other — they do not flatter each other.)

Casual / social media: “Just got the nicest compliment from a stranger at the coffee shop 😊” ✓

Common mistake: “Just got the nicest complement from a stranger” ✗ (A stranger gave you praise, not a completing piece — use “compliment” with an “i.”)

Job application: “My background in UX design complements the team’s existing strengths in front-end development.” ✓

Common mistake: “My background in UX design compliments the team’s existing strengths.” ✗ (You are saying your skills complete the team, not that they praise it — a critical distinction in a cover letter.)

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The most pervasive mistake is writing “compliment” when you mean “complement” in contexts involving pairing or completion. Phrases like “compliment each other” (when describing skills, flavors, or colors that work well together) should be “complement each other.” If no praise is involved, you need the “e” version.

The adjective forms cause even more errors. “Complimentary breakfast” (free breakfast) is correct. “Complementary breakfast” would mean a breakfast that completes something, which makes no sense in a hotel context. Conversely, “complementary colors” is correct; “complimentary colors” would mean colors that give praise, which is nonsensical.

A useful test: replace the word with “praising” or “completing.” If “praising” fits, use compliment (with “i”). If “completing” fits, use complement (with “e”). This substitution test works in nearly every context. Also explore our guide on beside vs besides for another tricky pair, and see how grammar check in Google Docs can catch these errors automatically.

The #1 mistake pattern: The most frequent error occurs in the phrase “[noun] compliments [noun]” when the writer means “enhances” or “pairs well with.” Sentences like “The side dish compliments the main course” or “Her experience compliments his” should use “complements.” Whenever two things are working together or completing each other, you need the “e” spelling.

The exception that proves the rule: In the phrase “with compliments,” the “i” spelling is always correct — this is a set expression meaning “with courtesy” or “free of charge.” You would never write “with complements” unless you literally mean “with completing parts.” Similarly, “compliments of the chef” is always “i” because the chef is offering praise through the gift of food.

The non-native speaker angle: Speakers of Spanish and Portuguese find this pair particularly treacherous because their languages maintain the etymological split — Spanish has complemento (completion) and cumplido (praise) — but the English spellings look far more similar than the Spanish words do, making it easy to confuse which English spelling maps to which meaning.

Quick Memory Trick

“I like your shirt” is a complIment — the letter I reminds you this word is about Interpersonal praise, one person speaking to another. “This shirt complEtes the outfit” uses complEment — the letter E reminds you of complEtion and Enhancement. One letter, two completely different concepts. Test it: “The wine ___ the cheese.” Is the wine praising the cheese, or completing the pairing? ComplEment.

Related Confused Word Pairs

Explore more commonly confused words:

• In Regard vs In Regards
• Beside vs Besides
• A Lot vs Alot

Also check out our grammar check for Google Docs guide.

FAQ

Is it “compliment” or “complement” when things go well together?

Use “complement” (with an “e”) when things go well together, complete each other, or enhance one another. “The wine complements the meal” means it enhances or pairs well with it. “Compliment” (with an “i”) is only for praise.

What does “complimentary” mean vs “complementary”?

“Complimentary” (with “i”) means either praising or free of charge. “Complementary” (with “e”) means completing or enhancing. A complimentary breakfast is free. Complementary colors complete each other on the color wheel.

How do I remember the difference between compliment and complement?

Focus on the vowel. Compl-I-ment: “I” give praise. Compl-E-ment: it compl-E-tes something. The “i” is for interpersonal praise, the “e” is for enhancement and completion.

Can compliment be used as a verb?

Yes. “Compliment” functions as both a noun and a verb. As a verb, it means to express praise: “She complimented his design.” Similarly, “complement” is also both a noun and a verb: “The design complements the architecture.”

What is a subject complement in grammar?

A subject complement is a word or phrase that follows a linking verb and describes or renames the subject. In “She is a doctor,” “a doctor” is the subject complement. This grammatical term uses “complement” (with “e”) because the word completes the meaning of the sentence.