Compliment vs Complement: What Is the Difference?
A compliment (with an i) is praise: "She complimented my essay." A complement (with an e) completes something or goes well with it: "The charts complement the text."
Updated 21 October 2026 · EssayWriting.com editorial team
- A compliment is praise; a complement completes or enhances.
- Complimentary means praising or free; complementary means completing each other.
- Trick: complement completes (e); I like it = compliment (i).
Compliment vs complement: the difference at a glance
| Word | Meaning | Adjective form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| compliment | praise; to praise | complimentary (praising, or free of charge) | My tutor complimented my thesis. |
| complement | something that completes or enhances; to complete | complementary (completing each other) | Qualitative interviews complement the survey data. |
How to use compliment
Use compliment for kind remarks. Complimentary also means free: "complimentary drinks".
- That is the nicest compliment I have had on my writing.
- The examiner complimented her clear structure.
- The hotel offers complimentary breakfast.
How to use complement
Use complement when two things complete or improve each other. In grammar, a subject complement completes a linking verb ("She is a teacher"). In geometry, complementary angles add up to 90°.
- The two methods complement each other.
- A full complement of staff was present.
- Blue and orange are complementary colours.
How to remember the difference
Complement enhances or completes. Compliment: I like your essay.
Tricky cases and exceptions
Complimentary vs complementary. Free items are complimentary, not complementary. Approaches that fill each other's gaps are complementary. "Complementary medicine" refers to therapies used alongside conventional treatment.
Compliment vs complement in academic writing
Research writing uses complement and complementary often, for example when combining qualitative and quantitative methods or explaining how sources support each other in a synthesis essay. Compliment rarely appears in academic prose.
Practice quiz
Choose the correct option, then open each answer to check your reasoning.
1. The images ___ the narrative well. (compliment / complement)
complement: they enhance it.
2. He paid me a ___ on my presentation. (compliment / complement)
compliment: praise.
3. The two theories are ___. (complimentary / complementary)
complementary: they complete each other.
4. Parking is ___ for guests. (complimentary / complementary)
complimentary: free.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Is it complimentary or complementary for free?
Complimentary.
What is a complement in grammar?
A word or phrase that completes the meaning of a verb, such as a subject complement after "is".
Do "complement" and "supplement" mean the same?
No. A supplement adds extra; a complement completes or balances.
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