Main Difference – Quiet vs. Quite
Though the two words quiet and quite are confused and misspelt by many people, they are pronounced and spelled differently and have different meanings. Quiet is an adjective and noun while quite is an adverb. Quiet means silence whereas quite means absolutely. This is the main difference between quiet and quite. In this article, let us look at the further difference between quite and quite.
Quiet – Meaning and Usage
Quiet is pronounced as /kwaɪət/. It is a two syllable word. Quiet can be used as an adjective and a noun. Quiet means silent or tranquil. It denotes the absence of noise, bustle or interruption from others. When someone says ‘please, be quiet,’ he or she is asking you to be silent. If you meet a silent, reserved type of person, you can say that he or she is a quiet person. When we use quiet to describe a place, it means that it is tranquil, calm place, without much activity or disturbances. The sentences below will explain the usage of quiet better.
She is very quiet and reserved in front of strangers, but she becomes very talkative with her family and friends.
It was a calm and quiet village in the middle of nowhere.
He was as quiet as a mouse, but his mother had the hearing of a cat.
The street below was eerily quiet; even the wind was silent.
All he wanted to do was spend a quiet life.
We have remained quiet for too long, now is the time for us to raise our voices against them.
It is a quiet village surrounded by fields and mountains.
Quite – Meaning and Usage
Quite is pronounced as /kwaɪt/, and it is a one syllable word. Quite is an adverb and is sometimes synonymous with absolutely or completely. It generally indicates an extent or degree of something. According to Oxford Dictionary, quite can mean
To the utmost or most absolute extent or degree
Trust me; I’m quite sure about this.
I quite agree with you, it is his fault entirely.
This theory is quite complex, and I’m not sure you’ll be able to understand this.
To a certain or fairly significant extent or degree; fairly:
She is quite a beautiful girl.
It’s quite cold outside, why don’t you come inside?
He earns quite a lot though he is only doing a part time job.
She’s quite small for her age, isn’t she?
The dog looks quite happy.
Difference Between Quiet and Quite
Pronunciation
Quiet is pronounced as /kwaɪət/.
Quite is pronounced as /kwaɪt/.
Syllables
Quiet is a two syllable word.
Quite is a one syllable word.
Part of Speech
Quiet is an adjective and a noun.
Quite is an adverb.
Meaning
Quiet indicates silence or the absence of noise and bustle.
Quite can mean absolute extent or degree or to a certain degree or extent.
