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TOEIC Link Part 5: complement versus compliment

Complement and compliment are pronounced almost identically but split by meaning: complement means "something that completes or pairs well," while compliment means "a word of praise." Part 5 hides this as a vocabulary item, but the surrounding collocations — complement to, complimentary breakfast, pay a compliment — usually point straight to the answer.

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TOEIC Link Part 5: complement versus compliment

Complement and compliment differ by a single vowel and sound nearly the same out loud, which is exactly why Part 5 pairs them in the same item. Unlike a word-form question, this is a true vocabulary split: the two words mean different things and rarely fit the same slot. The good news is that each word travels with its own set of partner words — collocations — and reading those partners settles most items faster than parsing the full sentence meaning.

The core rule: complete versus praise

  • complement (verb or noun) means something that completes, balances, or pairs well with another thing: The wine complements the meal. / The scarf is a perfect complement to the outfit.
  • compliment (verb or noun) means an expression of praise or admiration: She complimented him on his presentation. / He received many compliments on the design.

A memory hook that holds: complement contains complete — it completes. Compliment is the one about being polite, with an i like "I like it." So if the blank is about two things fitting together, it is complement; if it is about kind words, it is compliment.

How to read the slot with collocations

You can usually identify the right word from its partner words alone.

  • complement to / complement each other → the "completes" word. In The app is a natural complement to the desktop software, the frame ... to ... signals pairing.
  • pay/receive a compliment, compliment someone on → the "praise" word. In The chef was complimented on the dessert, the frame ... on ... with a person signals praise.
  • complimentary almost always means free of charge (a hotel sense of "given as a courtesy"): Guests enjoy a complimentary breakfast. This is a high-frequency TOEIC business meaning worth memorizing on its own.

That last point is the most common trap. Complimentary (with an i) can mean either "praising" or "free," and in TOEIC's hotel, airline, and conference contexts it usually means free. Complementary (with an e) means "completing or matching," as in complementary colors or complementary services.

The pairs Part 5 likes to test

The exam builds items where the topic could mislead you:

The two departments offer complementary services that together cover the full project.

The topic is teamwork and praise might seem plausible, but the meaning is "services that complete each other," so the answer is complementary with an e. Conversely:

Hotel guests receive a complimentary upgrade during the off-season.

Here "upgrade given free as a courtesy" demands complimentary with an i. Read what the adjective is doing — completing a set, or offering something free/praising — rather than guessing from the spelling.

A fast decision procedure

When a blank could be complement(ary) or compliment(ary), run it in this order:

  1. Does the sentence describe two things fitting or completing each other? Choose complement / complementary (with an e, like complete).
  2. Does it describe praise or admiration? Choose compliment / complimentary (with an i).
  3. Does it mean "free of charge"? Choose complimentary (with an i) — this is the frequent TOEIC business sense.

Worked examples:

  • A strong introduction complements a well-organized report. — two things fitting together, so complements.
  • The client complimented the team on its responsiveness. — praise, plus ... on ..., so complimented.
  • Attendees received a complimentary tote bag. — given free, so complimentary.
  • The new range of complementary colors sold well. — colors that match, so complementary.

Don't decide by sound

Because the words are near-homophones, guessing by ear is a coin flip. The reliable signal is the partner word: to / each other / matching points to complement; on / praise / free points to compliment(ary). Building this collocation reflex is the same skill our business email vocabulary cluster trains, and it is the structural-first habit described in word choice versus word form.

Quick reference

  • complement = completes / pairs well (has complete in it): Wine complements food.
  • compliment = praise: She complimented the speaker.
  • complementary (with e) = matching / completing: complementary colors.
  • complimentary (with i) = praising or free of charge: a complimentary breakfast.
  • to / each other / matching → complement.
  • on someone / praise / free → compliment(ary).
  • Decide by meaning and collocation, never by sound.