Don't Confuse These: Compliment & Complement
Talk about confusing! These two words – compliment (with an I), C-O-M-P-L-I-M-E-N-T, and complement (with an E), C-O-M-P-L-E-M-E-N-T are pronounced absolutely the same! Yet the difference is very big.
Let's take a closer look.
When was the last time you received a compliment?
What is a compliment, anyway? It's some pleasant phrase that tells you how good you are. Sometimes it's just flattery. When someone compliments you on your good character, they try to tell you that they like your character, which might not necessarily be very honest.
Lily gave a compliment on my shirt yesterday.
She said it complemented my eyes. That means that it made a good combination together with my eyes, it matched.
When you make a compliment, do you often tell this person that items of their clothing complement each other perfectly?
