Be quite quiet

As one of the most common spelling errors keep an eye out for this pair of words… especially as a spell check won’t pick the difference if you make a typing error.

quite: actually, truly; to an extent
The house was quite large

quiet: not making a lot, or any, noise
The children were unusually quiet

So how can you remember which is which, other than just repeating it until you get it? I was once told to keep my ears (the letter e) inside (rather than being the last letter) when I need peace and quiet 🙂 Maybe that tip will help you remember the difference…

And just to be complete, the word quit (as it is sometimes used instead of quite or quiet, too) means to stop or end something – for example, the man quit arguing with his boss. It is easy to remember – just quit writing before you add an e!