Commonly-Confused Words: Don't Be Discreet When Citing a Site

Saw some really messed-up usages on Yahoo! this week, so I thought I’d share with you how to use these words correctly.

discreet/discrete:  
Unfortunately, they’re both adjectives, so there’s no easy memory gimmick to help you with these.  Discreet is judicious, decorous, modestly unobtrusive.  Taking somebody aside to tell them they botched the assignment is much more discreet than yelling at them in front of their coworkers. From the same Latin root as our modern word “discern.”  To use discretion is to be judicious or thoughtful when making a choice. Discrete, on the other hand, means detached, separated, as in:  “The students were in discrete groups for the mythology unit:  some groups researched Greek myths, some Roman, and some Egyptian.” From the Latin discretus, meaning “separated.”

site/ cite/ sight:
Site is a noun, and only a noun.  It is used as a synonym for place. “The photographer was shown the dig site where the pottery shards were found.” “The new site for the store has excellent freeway access.” It’s been compounded into the word website, which is, simply, “a place on the Web.”
Cite is a verb, and only a verb. It means to quote, to mention or support, or to call attention to.  “Don’t neglect to cite your sources in your research paper.” “The candidate cited her experience with a local Board of Education when listing her qualifications for State Board of Education.” “The soldier was cited for bravery on the battlefield.” Equally, “My brother was cited yesterday for going 45 in a 30 zone.”
Sight can be noun and verb and its past participle can be adjectival.  As a noun, it can simply refer to vision: “I’m angry with you and I need you out of my sight for awhile.” Or as a metaphoric reference to a firearm: “You obviously cannot be trusted, so be warned I have you in my sights.”  As a past-tense verb: “She was sighted coming out of The Coffee Cave yesterday.” It’s a little silly and pretentious to use it instead of seen, but at least it’s used correctly; I’ve seen sited used in that context. The past participle sighted is also used as an adjective.  “All but one of the Gleeson’s children were sighted; the youngest lost his sight to diabetic retinopathy.”