Have you ever written “complimentary services” when you meant services that work well together?
Or perhaps you wondered whether a hotel offers a “complementary” breakfast or a “complimentary” breakfast? These two words look and sound very similar, but they have different meanings.
Complementary means completing, matching, or working well with something else. For example, two skills can be complementary because they work well together.
Complimentary usually means expressing praise or admiration. It can also mean something given free of charge, such as a complimentary breakfast.
People often search for complementary or complimentary because the words are easy to mix up in emails, business writing, school assignments, and everyday communication.
The extra “i” in complimentary can change the meaning of a sentence.
Understanding the difference helps you choose the right word with confidence.
This guide explains their meanings, origins, spelling, common mistakes, everyday uses, and differences in British and American English.
By the end, you will know exactly when to use complementary and when to use complimentary.
Complementary or Complimentary Quick Answer
Complementary means two things work well together, complete each other, or improve each other.
- The two colors are complementary
- Their skills are complementary
- The sauce has a complementary flavor
Complimentary has two main meanings:
- Expressing praise or admiration.
- Given free as a courtesy.
Examples:
- She made complimentary comments about my work
- The hotel provides complimentary breakfast
- Guests received complimentary tickets
The Easy Difference
Think of complementary as connected to complete.
Complementary = completes or works well with something
Think of complimentary as connected to compliment.
Complimentary = gives praise or is given free
Oxford and other major dictionaries make this same distinction between the two words.
The Origin of Complementary or Complimentary
The two words are closely related in history, which helps explain why their spellings are so similar.
Complementary comes from the noun complement, which means something that completes or adds to something else.
The word ultimately traces back to Latin complementum, meaning something that fills up or completes. Complementary was formed from complement and the suffix -ary.
Complimentary comes from compliment.
The word compliment developed through French and Italian and became associated with expressions of politeness, respect, and later praise. Complimentary was formed from compliment and -ary.
The words therefore have related historical roots, but English developed different spellings and meanings for them.
The difference became especially important as complement came to mean something that completes or balances another thing, while compliment became strongly connected with praise.
Complimentary later developed its familiar meaning of something provided free as a courtesy.
British English vs American English Spelling
There is an important point here: complementary and complimentary are spelled the same in British and American English.
Unlike words such as colour/color or centre/center, these two words do not have a British spelling and an American spelling. The difference is about meaning, not regional spelling.
| Meaning | British English | American English |
| Working well together | complementary | complementary |
| Completing something | complementary | complementary |
| Expressing praise | complimentary | complimentary |
| Given free | complimentary | complimentary |
| Related to complement | complementary | complementary |
| Related to compliment | complimentary | complimentary |
Examples
British English:
- The colors are complementary
- The hotel offers complimentary tea
- She was very complimentary about his work
American English:
- The colors are complementary
- The hotel offers complimentary coffee
- She was very complimentary about his work
The spelling stays the same in both varieties. Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries list the same distinction between the two forms.
Which Spelling Should You Use?
Your choice depends on what you mean, not where you live.
Use “complementary” when:
You mean that something completes, balances, matches, or works well with another thing.
- complementary skills
- complementary colors
- complementary flavors
- complementary services
- complementary roles
Example:
The designers have complementary skills.
This means their different skills work well together.
Use “complimentary” when:
You mean praise or admiration.
- complimentary comments
- complimentary remarks
- complimentary review
- complimentary feedback
Example:
The manager was very complimentary about her performance.
Use “complimentary” when you mean free:
- complimentary breakfast
- complimentary tickets
- complimentary drinks
- complimentary Wi-Fi
- complimentary service
Example:
Guests receive complimentary breakfast every morning.
So, whether you write for a US, UK, Canadian, Australian, or international audience, the rule remains the same.
Common Mistakes with Complementary or Complimentary
These words are often confused because they look almost identical.
Mistake 1: “Complimentary skills”
Incorrect:
The team members have complimentary skills.
Correct:
The team members have complementary skills.
Their skills work well together, so complementary is correct.
Mistake 2: “Complementary breakfast”
Incorrect:
The hotel offers complementary breakfast.
Correct:
The hotel offers complimentary breakfast.
The breakfast is free, so complimentary is correct.
Mistake 3: “Complementary remarks”
Incorrect:
She made complementary remarks about his work.
Correct:
She made complimentary remarks about his work.
The remarks contain praise, so complimentary is correct.
Mistake 4: “Complimentary colors”
Incorrect:
Red and green are complimentary colors.
Correct:
Red and green are complementary colors.
The colors have a relationship in color theory, so complementary is correct.
Mistake 5: “Complementary service”
This one depends on the intended meaning.
If the service works alongside another service:
The company provides complementary services.
If the service is free:
The company provides complimentary services.
The meaning determines the spelling.
Complementary or Complimentary Comparison Table
| Feature | Complementary | Complimentary |
| Basic meaning | Completes or works well with something | Gives praise or is free |
| Related noun | Complement | Compliment |
| Memory clue | Complete | Compliment |
| Describes praise | No | Yes |
| Means free | No | Yes |
| Means “works well together” | Yes | No |
| Common phrase | complementary skills | complimentary breakfast |
| Another common phrase | complementary colors | complimentary remarks |
| Business example | complementary services | complimentary service |
| Example | Their skills are complementary. | Breakfast is complimentary. |
Complementary or Complimentary in Everyday Examples
In Emails
Complementary:
Our two departments provide complementary services.
Complimentary:
Thank you for your complimentary comments about our team.
Free service:
We are pleased to offer you a complimentary consultation.
In News Writing
Complementary:
The two companies offer complementary products.
Complimentary:
The director was complimentary about the team’s performance.
News and business writing often use both words, but their meanings remain distinct.
On Social Media
Complementary:
These colors look great together because they are complementary.
Complimentary:
Thanks for the complimentary feedback!
Free offer:
All guests receive complimentary drinks tonight.
In Formal Writing
Complementary:
The researchers used two complementary methods.
Complimentary:
The report included several complimentary comments about the project.
Free:
Participants received complimentary materials at the event.
Complementary or Complimentary Google Trends & Usage Data
Search interest for complementary and complimentary can vary by country, date, and context.
Google Trends measures relative search interest, rather than giving a fixed worldwide number of searches.
Therefore, a trend comparison can change depending on the selected time period, location, language, and search category.
The words also appear in different contexts.
Complementary is common in subjects such as:
- education
- business
- design
- science
- mathematics
- medicine
- food and cooking
For example, people may search for complementary colors, complementary skills, or complementary medicine.
Complimentary is common in contexts involving:
- hotels
- travel
- restaurants
- customer service
- reviews
- praise
- promotions
Examples include complimentary breakfast, complimentary tickets, and complimentary remarks. Dictionary definitions also show these different usage areas.
Because search interest changes over time and by location, it is safer to view Google Trends as a measure of relative interest, not as a permanent ranking of which spelling is “more popular.”
FAQs About Complementary or Complimentary
1. What is the difference between complementary and complimentary?
Complementary means completing, matching, or working well with something else. Complimentary means expressing praise or being given free of charge.
2. Is it complementary or complimentary breakfast?
The correct phrase is complimentary breakfast because the breakfast is provided free.
3. Is it complementary or complimentary feedback?
Use complimentary feedback when the feedback contains praise.
4. Is it complementary or complimentary services?
Both can be correct.
Complementary services work well together or add to each other.
Complimentary services are provided free.
5. Is it complementary or complimentary colors?
The correct phrase is complementary colors.
6. Is complimentary always related to praise?
No. Complimentary can mean either expressing praise or being provided free as a courtesy.
For example:
She gave me a complimentary review.
Here it means praising.
The hotel provides complimentary parking.
Here it means free.
7. How can I remember the difference?
Use this simple memory trick:
Complementary = complete
Complimentary = compliment
If something completes or works well with something else, choose complementary. If you are talking about praise or something free, choose complimentary.
Conclusion
The difference between complementary or complimentary is small in spelling but important in meaning.
Complementary describes things that complete, balance, match, or work well together.
You can talk about complementary skills, complementary colors, complementary flavors, or complementary services.
Complimentary has two main meanings. It can describe words or comments that express praise, such as complimentary remarks.
It can also describe something given free as a courtesy, such as complimentary breakfast, tickets, or drinks.
The spelling does not change between British and American English. The key is to focus on the meaning of the sentence.
When you mean complete or work together, use complementary. When you mean praise or free, use complimentary.
A quick memory trick can make the difference easy: complementary connects with complete, while complimentary connects with compliment.
Once you remember this, you can use both words correctly in emails, professional writing, schoolwork, and everyday communication.
welcome to Words Mints! I’m Halay Sultan, a web developer and AI-Powered SEO content writer.