| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| complement, compliment (nn., vv.) |
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| These homophones are spelled differently. The mnemonic reminds you that to complete is “to provide the complement, that is, to fill out the complete set” and complete and complement are both spelled with -ple-. Compliment, verb and noun, meaning “praise or flattery” and “to give it,” is spelled with a medial -pli-. See SUPPLEMENT. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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