Quiet or Quite? Which is which?
Quiet or Quite?
Just one letter changes the meaning! These two words are easy to confuse because they look similar. Learn how to use them correctly.
Quiet
Tih, miran, bez buke.
Making little or no noise.
Used to describe people, places,
situations and objects.
Use quiet to describe silence or a lack of noise. Common expressions: keep quiet, a quiet room, a quiet neighbourhood.
Quite
Prilično, dosta, sasvim.
Used to describe degree or extent.
It can mean fairly, rather or
completely, depending on context.
Use quite to modify adjectives, adverbs and some verb phrases. Examples: quite expensive, quite sure, not quite ready.
Quiet describes silence.
Quite describes degree or extent.
Translation: Kancelarija je danas prilično tiha.
Quite = prilično
Quiet = tiha
Pronunciation tip: QUIET has two syllables, while QUITE has only one.
Advanced tip: In British English, “quite good” can mean fairly good, while in American English it often suggests a stronger positive opinion. With words such as “certain” or “impossible”, quite can mean completely.
Test Your Knowledge
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence. Click Check Answers to see your results and explanations.
1. Please remain ______ while the instructions are being read.
2. It is ______ cold outside today. You should wear a jacket.
3. She lives on a ______ street far from the city centre.
4. The documentary was ______ interesting. I learned a lot.
5. The children became ______ when the film started.
6. I am ______ sure that this is the correct address.
7. She prefers a ______ working environment because she needs to concentrate.
8. The new software is ______ easy to use, even for beginners.
9. He remained ______ throughout the meeting and did not express his opinion.
10. This software is ______ expensive for a small company.
11. The new dishwasher is surprisingly ______. You can hardly hear it running.
12. We haven’t ______ finished the financial report yet.
13. The company kept ______ about the negotiations until the contract was signed.
14. Her proposal is ______ different from the original plan.
15. I couldn’t ______ hear what the speaker was saying because of the background noise.
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