Every now and then I see people writing about a grammar peeve and I wonder if I’m making the mistake.
That’s how I felt about compliment vs. complement, so I thought it was worth addressing here.
I’m pretty sure I know the difference in the words and have been using them correctly. But, just in case we’re making mistakes, here’s the difference.
A compliment is praise you give to someone.
For example, “I just love that red dress. It looks fabulous on you.”
That is a compliment.
Complement means something pairs well together.
For example, “My husband and I have the same snarky personality. We just complement one another.”
Grammar Girl (Mignon Fogarty) suggests remembering the difference between the two by thinking of compliment with an “i” as something “I” like to do for others.
This seems easy enough, right? Fabulous!
Now go forth and use words correctly!
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