From the course: Writing with Commonly Confused Words

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"Complement" or "compliment"?

"Complement" or "compliment"?

From the course: Writing with Commonly Confused Words

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"Complement" or "compliment"?

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- English is full of tricky homophones, words that sound alike, but are spelled differently and mean different things. The two spellings of compliment cause problems, for example. A complement with an E is a full crew or set. For example, on a ship, you could say we can sail now that the full crew complement is on board. And when something complements something else, again, the word with the E, it means they go well together. The wine complements your meal or a necklace complements your dress. You can think of this word as being like complete, which is also spelled with an E. You have the complete crew on board. On the other hand, compliment with an I is a kind or flattering remark. If a coworker says he likes your new presentation, he's giving you a compliment. He's complimenting you. To remember the spellings of this word, I always think of this sentence. I like to give compliments. When you emphasize the word I,…

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