Sight vs. Site vs. Cite

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Understanding the difference between commonly confused words will help you avoid making errors in English usage. Let’s examine the difference between the following:

sight

Sight means the power of seeing, a place of interest worth visiting, or a device that assists a person’s aim or observation.

Upon arriving in France, Adeline was keen on visiting the sights of Paris.
The sights of Paris include the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River.

site

Site means a place where something is constructed, a place where a certain event occurred or particular activities occur, or a website.

Upon arriving in the U.S. South, Bryan was keen on visiting the sites of various Civil War battles.
A website shown on a computer monitor.

cite

To cite means to quote something as evidence or to support an argument, particularly in a scholarly work; to mention as an example; to praise a military member for a courageous act; or to summon someone to appear in a court of law.

Roberta cited the work of several top psychiatrists to bolster her argument in her thesis.
How to cite references.

☛ Here’s a trick to help you tell the difference between these three words:

Remember that you might sigh if you fall in love at first sight; site refers to where something is situated; and cite is related to the words citation and recite.

Photo credits:

Photo 1: Image by Pierre Blaché from Pixabay

Photo 2: Image by Coffee Bean from Pixabay

Photo 3: Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0