Week 6: Commonly Confused Words

Week 6: Commonly Confused Words

Spelling is one of my weakest skills, so the list of commonly confused words is my best friend. I really like the list in “When Words Collide” because it is clearly laid out and alphabetical. I keep a tab on that page so that I can flip to it quickly (page 227). One set of words that I often confuse is complement and compliment. However, I have found a trick to make it easier to remember.

Complement means “one of two mutually completing parts” according to Merriam-Webster’s third definition. (It’s the easiest definition to remember.)

Compliment means “an expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration; especially: an admiring remark” according to Merriam-Webster’s first definition.

In order to distinguish between the two, I notice that complement has two e’s while compliment has an i and an e. The two e’s next to each other match and play off each other, meaning they complement each other or complete each other. If I remember how to spell complement, I’ll remember that the other is compliment. One way to remember compliment is to remember that it is something only “I” can give, so it has an i in the spelling.



The editing mistake I found for this week was from a Facebook page for hairstylists. In this picture, they spelled hairstylist “hairstylist,” mixing up the s and the i. While the rest of the picture is error free, this giant red mistake glares at the viewer.