cite vs. site
Academic writing and web writing both use these constantly, often in the same document, which is where the trouble starts. You cite a source that lives on a site. Add "sight" — the third homophone, meaning vision — and you have three words with nothing in common but sound.
cite
A verb. To quote or refer to a source as evidence or authority.
- Remember to cite the original study.
- The judgment cites three earlier rulings.
- He cited budget constraints as the reason.
site
A noun. A place or location, physical or online. Occasionally a verb meaning to position something.
- The construction site closes at six.
- Our site had a record month.
- They chose the site for its transport links.
Why cite and site get mixed up
Cite, site and sight all sound exactly alike, so spelling has to do the work.
Cite is a verb meaning to quote or refer to something as evidence (cite your sources, cite a study), or to summon someone officially (he was cited for speeding). Site is a place: a building site, a campsite, a website. Sight is about seeing: eyesight, a sight worth seeing, love at first sight.
A good test is to ask what the word is doing. If someone is naming a source or being given an official notice, it is cite, and its noun is citation. If it is a location, real or online, it is site. If it has to do with the eyes or a view, it is sight.
Common mistakes
Please site your sources at the end of the essay.
✓Please cite your sources at the end of the essay.
Naming a source as evidence is cite, the same root as citation.
Hard hats must be worn on the construction cite.
✓Hard hats must be worn on the construction site.
A place is a site.
The canyon at sunset was a beautiful site.
✓The canyon at sunset was a beautiful sight.
Something you look at is a sight.
Quick way to remember
Ask whether you are quoting or pointing. Quoting takes "cite," which shares its start with "citation." A place takes "site," which shares its start with "situated." And if the sentence is about eyes, it is "sight."
Questions
Is it "on-site" or "on sight"?
Both exist with different meanings. On-site means at the location (on-site parking). On sight means as soon as something is seen (recognized on sight).
Can I cite a website?
Yes, and it shows all three words at once: you cite (reference) a site (web location) that you have sighted (seen). Most citation styles include the page title, site name, date and URL.