Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell discreet

What it means: Careful and prudent in behavior.

In a sentence: The secret agent was discreet when he tiptoed past the sleeping cat. ▶

The part people get wrong

Watch for double e. Often misspelled as discrete or descreet.

Sounds like, but is not: discrete. Same sound, different spelling and meaning.

Same family: discreetly, discretion, indiscreet, indiscretion. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: Discreet comes from the Latin word 'discretus', meaning 'separate' or 'distinguished'. It is often confused with 'discrete', which shares the same Latin root but now means 'separate, distinct' in modern English.

Try spelling it

You will hear the word and a sentence. Type it and press Enter. Then four more words from the same level, so you know where you stand.

Words like this

illicit · speedometer · deceive · council · elicit · discrete · counsel · conceive

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