complement

/ˈkɒmpləmənt/

//ˈkɒmpləmənt// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"complement" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“complement” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,019. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,019
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - The totality, the full amount or number which completes something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-complement · complement · English

complement · rank #10,019 · 16 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,019
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH comparative

Nearest frequency peer: comparative (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “complement”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “complement” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

complement vs compliment
90% similar
complement vs compliments
82% similar
complement vs complemented
83% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for complement
PropertyValue
Headwordcomplement
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒmpləmənt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#10,019
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “complement” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). complement lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around complement (IPA /ˈkɒmpləmənt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,019 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 22 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for complement, with forms such as "ccomplement", "cmoplement", and "comlpement". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "compliment", "compliments", "complemented", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English complement, from Latin complēmentum (“that which fills up or completes”), from compleō (“to fill up; to complete”) (English complete). Doublet of compliment. The verb is from the noun. The correct English form is complement, spelled C-O-M-P-L-E-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The totality, the full amount or number which completes something.
  2. 2
    The whole working force of a vessel.
  3. 3
    An angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle.
  4. 4
    Something which completes, something which combines with something else to make up a complete whole; loosely, something perceived to be a harmonious or desirable partner or addition.
  5. 5
    A word or group of words that completes a grammatical construction in the predicate and that describes or is identified with the subject or object.
  6. 6
    A phonetic complement is a graphic element that modifies another, such as (in Linear B script) a small syllabogram that is attached to a logogram as an abbreviation of its reading (as opposed to an adjunct that abbreviates an adjective that modifies that logogram).
  7. 7
    An interval which, together with the given interval, makes an octave.
  8. 8
    The color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black (for mixing pigments) or white (for mixing light).
  9. 9
    Given two sets, the set containing one set's elements that are not members of the other set (whether a relative complement or an absolute complement).
  10. 10
    One of several blood proteins that work with antibodies during an immune response.
  11. 11
    An expression related to some other expression such that it is true under the same conditions that make other false, and vice versa.
  12. 12
    A voltage level with the opposite logical sense to the given one.
  13. 13
    A bit with the opposite value to the given one; the logical complement of a number.
  14. 14
    The diminished radix complement of a number; the nines' complement of a decimal number; the ones' complement of a binary number.
  15. 15
    The radix complement of a number; the two's complement of a binary number.
  16. 16
    The numeric complement of a number.
  17. 17
    A nucleotide sequence in which each base is replaced by the complementary base of the given sequence: adenine (A) by thymine (T) or uracil (U), cytosine (C) by guanine (G), and vice versa.
  18. 18
    Synonym of alexin.
  19. 19
    Abbreviation of complementary good.
  20. 20
    Something (or someone) that completes; the consummation.
  21. 21
    The act of completing something, or the fact of being complete; completion, completeness, fulfilment.
  22. 22
    Something which completes one's equipment, dress etc.; an accessory.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how complement appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Queequeg sought a passage to Christian lands. But the ship, having her full complement of seamen, spurned his suit; and not all the King his father's influence could prevail.
  2. Some 11 members of Somerton council's complement of 15 stepped down on Tuesday.

Etymology

From Middle English complement, from Latin complēmentum (“that which fills up or completes”), from compleō (“to fill up; to complete”) (English complete). Doublet of compliment. The verb is from the noun.

This word in other languages

complemento(Español)complète(Français)Komplement(Deutsch)complemento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccomplement
  • cmoplement
  • comlpement
  • commplement
  • compelment
  • compleemnt
  • complemennt
  • complementt
  • complemetn
  • complemment
  • complemnet
  • compllement
  • complmeent
  • compplement
  • copmlement
  • ocmplement

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of complement - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccomplement1cmoplement2comlpement2commplement1compelment2compleemnt2complemennt1complementt1
Edit distance from "complement"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "complement"?
"complement" is spelled C-O-M-P-L-E-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒmpləmənt/.
What does "complement" mean?
As a noun, "complement" means: The totality, the full amount or number which completes something.
What words are commonly confused with "complement"?
"complement" is commonly confused with "compliment", "compliments", "complemented". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "complement"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "complement" is /ˈkɒmpləmənt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "complement"?
From Middle English complement, from Latin complēmentum (“that which fills up or completes”), from compleō (“to fill up; to complete”) (English complete). Doublet of compliment. The verb is from the noun. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "complement", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

continuity#10,024Charleston#10,007delightful#10,033determines#10,035

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

comparative16 variantscommissioners16 variantsValentine's16 variantsinsufficient16 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "complement". Here's where to go from here.

  • "complement" maps to 5 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "compliment". View pair
  • 16 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #10,019 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "C" letter cohort. C–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list