Compliment vs Complement | Ask Linda! | English Grammar

In this video Linda breaks down the difference between “compliment” and “complement”.

Due to their similar spelling and pronunciation, this word pair is often confused in English.

Let’s break it down:

As a verb and noun, “compliment” is used to say something nice about someone.

For example:

I complimented my brother on his delicious cooking (verb).

I gave my brother a compliment on his delicious cooking (noun).

“Complement” on the other hand is used when two things go well together, or complete each other. It is often used in food and in fashion to describe matching styles or ingredients, such as here:

Her black dress complements her red hair.

That wine complements the fish very well.

I’m sure the difference is clear now and you won’t confuse the two words again.

That’s it for today. See you next time!