What is the difference between compliment and complement?

A compliment (with i) is a nice thing you say about someone. A complement (with e) is something that completes or goes perfectly with something else.

How do I remember compliment vs complement?

Compl i ment: “ I like your shoes” — the i-word is about saying nice things. Compl e ment shares its spelling with compl e te — it completes something.

Is it ’complements the dish’ or ’compliments the dish’?

Complements the dish — the wine completes or goes well with the food. It would only compliment the dish if it could talk and say something nice about it.

Level: B2

Compliment vs Complement

A compliment is kind words; a complement completes something. One vowel apart, pronounced the same — and mixed up constantly in writing. Learn the trick, then practice below.

🔍 Confused words · pair 13 of 54 ⏱ about 5 minutes 🔊 every sentence has audio

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For Matching Game quizzes, choose sentences that include more than one of the words below. If you pick sentences with only one word, the quiz will automatically add a sentence using another word.

Compliment (with i) – kind words about someone; to praise.
She gave me a ______ on my haircut. – compliment
Thanks for the ______ — you made my day. – compliment
He paid her a ______ about her cooking. – compliment
The nicest ______ is when people ask for my recipe. – compliment
I wanted to ______ you on your English. – compliment
Take it as a ______ — he rarely praises anyone. – compliment
Customers often ______ the staff on their service. – compliment
She blushed at the unexpected ______. – compliment
My boss gave me a rare ______ today. – compliment
A sincere ______ can brighten anyone’s day. – compliment
He accepted the ______ with a smile. – compliment
People always ______ her on her garden. – compliment
The chef came out to receive the ______ in person. – compliment
“Your accent is great” is the ______ I hear most. – compliment
It’s polite to ______ the host on the meal. – compliment
I passed the ______ along to the whole team. – compliment
His highest ______ is a quiet nod. – compliment
She returned the ______ with one of her own. – compliment
What a lovely ______ — thank you! – compliment
Teachers should ______ students on real effort. – compliment
Complement (with e) – something that completes; to go perfectly with.
The wine is a perfect ______ to the cheese. – complement
These colors ______ each other nicely. – complement
The scarf is a great ______ to her coat. – complement
Rice is the ideal ______ to this curry. – complement
The two players’ styles ______ each other on the court. – complement
Soft lighting can ______ the room’s warm colors. – complement
The dessert was a light ______ to a heavy meal. – complement
Their skills ______ each other: she designs, he builds. – complement
The sauce is meant to ______ the fish, not hide it. – complement
A good soundtrack should ______ the story. – complement
The ship sailed with a full ______ of crew. – complement
Fresh bread is the natural ______ to homemade soup. – complement
The new hire’s experience will ______ the team’s skills. – complement
Simple furniture can ______ a colorful room. – complement
The gray walls ______ the wooden floors. – complement
Charts ______ the report’s written summary. – complement
Her calm manner is the perfect ______ to his energy. – complement
Choose a tie to ______ the suit. – complement
The side dishes ______ the main course. – complement
Online lessons ______ classroom learning. – complement

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between compliment and complement?: A compliment (with i) is a nice thing you say about someone. A complement (with e) is something that completes or goes perfectly with something else.
How do I remember compliment vs complement?: Compliment: “I like your shoes” — the i-word is about saying nice things. Complement shares its spelling with complete — it completes something.
Is it ’complements the dish’ or ’compliments the dish’?: Complements the dish — the wine completes or goes well with the food. It would only compliment the dish if it could talk and say something nice about it.