Two words which use the same letters and even sound the same, but have utterly different meanings.
I have noticed writers here using the wrong ones over the years and even in some recently posted offerings.
Discreet: Private, quietly, unobserved, out of sight of others nearby.
Discrete: Separate, individual, unconnected or disconnected.
Our readers usually know what is meant from context but when I read the wrong one being used it still jars.
Folks, take more care!
Penny
Comments
The way to remember ...
... which is which between 'discrete' and 'discreet' is that the spelling which separates the 'e' is the one that means individual items and the other means discretion.
My technical growth was in an era back in the late 50s/60s when computers were made from discrete components (transistors, capacitors and resistors and core store relied on torroids) and weren't as powerful as my watch, let alone my phone so I learned a long time ago :)
homonym vs. homophone
Fun fact: several comments mentioned homonyms and then cited homophones, which is kind of funny in a discourse on proper use of language. ;-)
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