Practice
Site and sight: understand the difference
Sign in to saveThe new library site is beside the river. From its roof, visitors can enjoy the sight of boats below. The words sound the same, but their spellings point to different meanings.
Choose site for a place or location and sight for the ability or act of seeing, a view, or something seen.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
The historic site came into sight at sunset. /ðə hɪˈstɒrɪk saɪt keɪm ˈɪntuː saɪt æt ˈsʌnset/
The short answer
Use site for a place, location, or web address. Use sight for seeing, a view, or something visible.
The construction site is closed after 6 p.m.
Why it works: Site names the place where construction happens.
4 more examples
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Please enter the address of the museum site in the map app.
Site identifies the location of the museum.
Not this:The museum
came into sightafter the bend in the road. What changes: Sight refers to the moment when the museum became visible. -
Our class will visit the historic site on Friday.
A historic site is a place with historical importance.
Not this:The old bridge was an
impressive sightat sunset. What changes: An impressive sight is a view worth looking at. -
The company moved its website to a new site.
Site can mean a website or a part of the internet.
Not this:After the storm, the coast was a
sad sight. What changes: Sight names the scene that people could see. -
We chose a quiet campsite near the lake.
Campsite contains site because it names a place to camp.
Not this:Keep the trail
in sightwhile you walk through the forest. What changes: In sight means visible or able to be seen.
Read the full guide
Ask one simple question before you choose the spelling. Are you naming a place, including a website? Write site. Are you talking about eyes, seeing, or a view? Write sight. The sound stays the same, so the meaning must guide you.
Start with place or seeing
Choose site when the word means a place. Choose sight when it relates to seeing. This meaning check works even though the words have the same sound.
The festival site is near the train station.
The festival site is the location of the event.
The station came into sight after ten minutes.
The station became visible, so sight is correct.
Which word names a location?
Use site for a location.
Use site for physical places
A site can be any particular place connected with an activity, building, event, or history. Common combinations include building site, burial site, picnic site, and historic site.
Workers checked the building site before sunrise.
The building site is the place where the workers are working.
We found a picnic site beside the stream.
The picnic site is the place selected for eating outdoors.
Which spelling completes this phrase: a camping ___?
Write site because a camping site is a place.
Use site for websites too
A site can also mean a website. This use treats a web address as a place that people visit online. Website is one word, and site is often used as its shorter form.
I saved the recipe site in my browser.
The recipe site is an online place where the recipes are available.
The school site has the term dates.
The school site means the school website, not a view.
Which word completes this sentence: The library ___ lists opening hours?
Write site because it refers to the library website.
Use sight for vision and views
Use sight when your sentence is about the ability to see, the act of seeing, or something visible. You may see sight in phrases such as at first sight, out of sight, and in sight.
My sight is weaker without my glasses.
Sight refers to the sense that helps a person see.
The city lights were a beautiful sight from the train.
The lights were something enjoyable to look at.
Which word completes this phrase: out of ___?
Write sight because the phrase means no longer visible.
Notice sight as a verb
Sight can be a verb meaning to notice or see something, often at a distance. This verb is less common than see in everyday speech, but it is useful in reports and news.
The hikers sighted an eagle above the valley.
Sighted means noticed or saw the eagle.
A ranger sighted smoke near the forest road.
The ranger saw the smoke from a distance.
Can site mean to notice an eagle?
No. Use sight as the verb when someone notices or sees something.
Before you go
Remember this
Use site for a place, a location, or a website. Use sight for vision, a view, or something visible. Because the words sound alike, pause and ask whether your sentence is about a place or about seeing.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Site and sight: understand the difference"
What is the difference between site and sight?
Site means a place, location, or website. Sight relates to seeing, a view, or something that is visible. The words sound the same, so use the meaning of the sentence to choose the spelling.
The construction site is closed after 6 p.m.
How do I know when to use site?
Use site when you mean a physical location or a website. A construction site is a place where building work happens. A school site is an online place where the school shares information.
We saw a bright sight from the hilltop.
How do I know when to use sight?
Use sight for the ability or act of seeing, something visible, or a view. In the phrase came into sight, a thing becomes visible. A beautiful sight is something pleasant to look at.
Please enter the address of the museum site in the map app.
Is a website a site or a sight?
A website is a site. Site is a shorter form of website and refers to a place on the internet. Sight would be wrong because the sentence is naming an online location, not the act of seeing.
The museum came into sight after the bend in the road.
Can sight be a verb?
Yes. Sight can mean to notice or see something, often at a distance. For example, a crew may sight land from a ship. In everyday conversation, people often use saw instead.
Our class will visit the historic site on Friday.