Comments on: Compliment vs Complement

By: TK

TK — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:47:56 +0000

For me, an easy way of determining which to apply, using an associative memory trick, is to remember that the only difference between the two words is an ‘i’ or an ‘e’. So:

Compliment contains the ‘i’ – which is the beginning of an ‘insult’. A compliment is the opposite of an insult.

Complement contains the ‘e’ which is the begin of the word ‘equal’. Something which complements something else has a kind of equality. Salt complements pepper, for example.

Works for me – hope it works for those of you who like to use mnemonics!

By: Lis

Lis — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:14:18 +0000

Thank you.. good article.

By: Ylsa

Ylsa — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:30:12 +0000

Silly, Silly Gbotgirl! A sentence should not begin with a preposition such as “From”! ;P Thanks for posting this because not enough people care to tend to our language so we are becoming a bunch of mindless, ineloquent drones.

By: morfg

morfg — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:42:03 +0000

And of course a polite bow is also a compliment.

By: morfg

morfg — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:38:09 +0000

French: plier = to fold or bend
Latin: plica = a fold

Latin: plenus = full

So to complement means to make something complete or full, and to compliment means to be polite, compliant as opposite to rude, stiff or unbending.

At least that explanation works for me.