One means silence or calm, the other means fairly or rather.
"Quiet" (ending in 't') is the adjective meaning silent or calm. "Keep quiet" = stay silent. "A quiet neighborhood" = a calm and peaceful area.
Please be quiet during the exam.
It's very quiet in the library.
She lives in a quiet neighborhood.
"Quite" (no final 't') is the adverb that modifies adjectives: fairly, very, or completely. "Quite good" = fairly good. "Quite sure" = completely certain.
The movie was quite interesting.
I'm quite tired after the long trip.
That's quite a difficult question.
Common mistake
Trick to remember it
Quick rule
Did you know?
In American English, QUITE generally means "fairly" or "very" (moderate-to-high level). In British English, QUITE can mean either "fairly" (moderate level) or "completely" depending on the adjective it accompanies. "Quite good" from a British mouth can be a modest evaluation ("not bad"), while an American interprets it as high praise. This difference has caused real misunderstandings in international professional settings. And "quite right!" in British English is an expression of enthusiastic agreement: "absolutely correct," not "fairly correct."
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Could you be a bit _____? The baby is sleeping.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The restaurant was _____ good, but the portions were very small.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
One means to fail to keep something, the other means not tight.
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.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy