How many of you used a wrong word that sounds almost the same as the correct word? Most of us might have made that mistake, right? In this article, we will discuss such words that have similar pronunciations but different meanings. The words “quiet” and “quiet” come under the same category. Though they almost look similar, they have different spellings, pronunciations, meanings, and usages. Let’s learn about the differences between “quite” and “quiet” so that we can use them correctly.
Difference Between Quite and Quiet
Meaning of Quite
The word “quite” is used only as an adverb. It usually refers to the maximum degree or extent. It also means completely, entirely, absolutely, or fairly.
Meaning of Quiet
The word “quiet” is used as an adjective, a noun, and sometimes as a verb, which means making little or no noise or being silent or calm.
Tabular Difference between Quite and Quiet
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Quite |
Quiet |
|
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The word “quite” means to the maximum degree or extent, or completely, entirely, or fairly. | The word “quiet” means making little or no noise or being silent or calm. |
| Parts of Speech | It is used only as an adverb. | It is used as an adjective, a noun, and sometimes as a verb. |
| Usage | It is usually placed before the verb to enhance its intensity. | It is usually used to describe something or someone, or to describe an action. |
| Syllables | It is a one-syllable word. | It is a two-syllable word. |
| Synonyms | Totally, completely, wholly, absolutely, extremely, very, immensely, terribly, fairly, etc. | Silent, noiseless, soundless, calm, peaceful, tranquil, soothing, serenity, etc. |
| Examples |
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Usage of Quite
The word “quite” is used only as an adverb, which is usually placed before the verb. For example, it’s better to stay in the house as it’s quite cold outside. Here, the word “quite” refers to very, i.e., it’s very cold outside.
Examples of Quite
- His coding skills are quite good.
- I’m quite sure that I’ll pass in first class this time.
- Don’t you think that the party is quite boring?
- We used to meet quite often when we were in college.
- Maddy lost his father when he was quite young.
- The movie we saw last night was quite interesting.
- Sara was quite exhausted by the time she arrived home from the office.
Usage of Quiet
The word “quiet” is used as an adjective, a noun, and sometimes as a verb. When it is used as an adjective, it is used to describe something or someone; when it is used as a noun, it means the absence of noise or calm; and when it is used as a verb, it is used to describe an action, i.e., to make or become silent.
- I love to work when it is quiet. Here, the word “quiet” is a noun and means silence.
- Among all of us, Nithya is the quiet girl. Here, the word “quiet” is an adjective and means calm.
- The professor looked around the class and yelled, “Quiet down!” Here, the word “quiet” is a verb and means to stop someone from making noise.
Examples of Quiet
- Can’t you be quiet for some time?
- Luke has been unusually quiet for the past few days.
- Why is she so quiet today?
- I didn’t understand what to say, so I stayed quiet.
- Everyone was quiet while Amar was giving a speech.
- Our neighbour’s children are quiet and well-disciplined.
- I was quiet, but that doesn’t mean you should take advantage of my silence.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed the differences between “quite” and “quiet,” as well as their meaning and usage, with examples. Hence, we can conclude that though the words “quite” and “quiet” look similar, they are used in different contexts and can’t be used interchangeably. Remember that the word “quite” ends with the letter “e,” whereas the word “quiet” ends with the letter “t.” The word “quite” means to the maximum degree or extent, whereas the word “quiet” means making little or no noise.