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'Cite' means to quote or reference a source; 'site' is a physical location or a website.
Side-by-side comparison
"Cite" is the verb to quote or reference a source, a rule, or an example. Also in the legal sense of summoning someone before a court.
Always cite your sources at the end of the report.
The professor cited three studies that contradicted the hypothesis.
The driver was cited for speeding in a school zone.
"Site" is a location or place: where something is or where something happens. A construction site, an archaeological site, or a website.
The construction site will be active for the next eighteen months.
This is the original site of the ancient Roman forum.
Their e-commerce site receives over a million visits per month.
Common mistake
- •"Please site your references" in an academic paper is wrong: to credit a source is "cite".
- •"Site" is a physical or digital location (website, construction site).
- •English also has "sight" (vision), and all three are perfect homophones.
Trick to remember it
- •"Cite" starts with C for "credit", you cite a source to give it credit.
- •"Site" starts with S for "spot" or "space", it is a location.
Quick rule
- •"Cite" = reference or quote a source.
- •"Site" = location or address (website, construction site, place).
Did you know?
Cite, site, and sight are perfect homophones in English, all three sound exactly the same (/saɪt/). English has many annoying homophones like this trio. The good news: in formal academic writing, "cite" is by far the most used, so one simple rule helps: if you are in a research context, it is almost always "cite". The "cite/site" error is so common in university essays that many professors make it an automatic review point.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
You must _____ your sources at the end of the essay. Your teacher needs to check them.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
They are building a new hospital on the _____ next to the park.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy