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cite, sight and site - the difference




Cite means 'to mention' or 'to quote'.
Sight relates to vision.
Site means a piece of land or 'to assign a position to'.
 

The words 'cite', 'sight' and 'site' have different meanings, but they sound identical.  As a consequence, some writers fail to differentiate between them.

Sight

'Sight' relates to vision.  It is the power of seeing (i.e., perception by the eyes).  It can also be something that is seen (e.g., What a beautiful sight.)

Examples:

The newborn foal was an emotional sight for all of us.

After the laser treatment, her sight was perfect.

Site

The noun 'site' refers to a piece of land (e.g., building site). As a verb ('to site'), it means 'to position in a place' (e.g., I will site the slide near the swings.)

Examples:

There are three landfill sites in the local vicinity.

Mr Dodds claimed his tools had been stolen from the archaeological site.

Cite

The verb 'cite' means 'to quote', 'to refer to', 'to summon to appear before a court of law' or simply 'to mention'.

Examples:

The lecturer cited several instances of illegal behaviour.

The young inspector was cited for his outstanding achievements.

Remember to cite expert opinion to support your points.
 
 Select an answer to replace the word in bold:
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
THE CULPRIT IS SITE 

The word 'site' (meaning 'a piece of land') is the one that causes problems. The most common error relating to these three words is writing 'sight' instead of 'site'.
TRADESMAN'S ENTRANCE 

A site usually houses a building or construction work. You can remember the definition of 'site' using the 'te' to remind you of tradesman's entrance. (A site is likely to have a tradesman's entrance.)

See also:

What are verbs?
What are nouns?
Glossary of easily confused words
Glossary of common errors
Glossary of grammatical terms

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