Her website cited the Site as “The Best Sight in the City.”
January 26, 2010 by Dawn Allcot
Filed under Word Usage
Photo courtesy of Jen Jones
Site. Cite. Sight.
I caught myself confusing these words in a blog post the other day, and I figured if I do it, I’m sure others do, as well.
If I’m not careful, I use “site” when I mean “cite.” Perhaps it’s because I get so accustomed to typing “site” when I’m referring to websites?
Incidentally, “website” is a much higher-ranked keyword than “site.” Much higher. This is, perhaps, one of those instances where it pays to choose the better keyword over the more conversational phrase. Also, since writers strive to avoid ambiguity, and “site” can have multiple meetings, it makes perfect sense to stick to website or the AP-recommended Web site.
A Quick, and Relevant, Digression
What’s the difference between Web site and website? And what’s the rationale?
When you use the two words separately, you are using “Web” as an abbreviation of World Wide Web. Web site = a site on the Web.
When you use website, it’s a descriptive term, as in: “Where did you find that sweet writing job? I found it in the job listings on the FWJ website.”
What about web site (two words), also found quite frequently in common use on the Web? That’s just incorrect, according to both the AP guide and the Chicago Manual of Style. Rebecca Laffar-Smith of Writer’s Roundabout gives us a funny way to remember why web site is wrong. She says, “A web site would be where a spider has put his home.”
But let’s get back to the point.
Site v. Cite
A site is a place, a location. That’s easy to remember, especially if you remember that a “Web site” is a place or a space on the World Wide Web. (It seems we can’t get away from it, can we?)
When you cite something, you are making a citation. A citation is a quotation, or an annotation. In a less official sense, a citation can also mean a “mention” of something, which is how I use it in my headline.
Set Your Sights
I’ve also been known to write “sited,” when I meant “sighted.” Perhaps because you can “sight a site?” Sight means to spot, or to see. You look through a sight (for instance, on a paintball gun), to sight your opponent.
Sight has to do with the eyes, but that’s not a good mnemonic device. Both site and cite also use the letter “I” as their only vowel.
I came up with my own way to remember when to use the word sight… Remember, “sight” has to do with your eyes… but it’s spelled with a G. Just recall the phrase: “Gee, you’re a sight for sore eyes!” and you’ll never get this one wrong.
Your Challenge
Let’s have some fun. Use cite, site and sight correctly, all in ONE sentence. Feel free to toss website in there if you’d like, too.
And, I’m feeling generous. It’s been a good January. On January 31, I’ll pick one random winner out of all the CORRECT entries (incorrect entries or entries not using all three words will be disqualified) and contact you to send you a free grammar book. Cite this site to spread the word!
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Well, here goes:
The postings on the grammar website are an impressive sight; once I’m set up at the new site, I’ll need to cite this as a resource on my students’ course syllabus.
The company site had quoted a vendor but didn’t cite the source, so the error was in plain sight of any visitor!
Haha — what fun! OK, here’s mine:
Please prominently cite the appropriate sources used in your real estate site so that visitors may sight the accreditation immediately.
hmmm
It is quite an encouraging sight to see this website accurately cite the Chicago Manual of Style.
I need to check my glasses so that I can sight the correct passage on the website to cite in my next article.
great post btw.
She must admit she relied on the sight of that site and cite it.
The site of your brick-and-mortar site on the “About” page of your website will increase visitor trust, especially when you remember to correctly cite your photographer.
*grins* I have fun with these things. How many times can we enter?
The young graffiti artist would cite his own work with a special tag that identified him at his favorite site in the city.
Ah, got distracted when writing the one above and forgot “sight”. *chuckles*
The young graffiti artist would cite his own work with a special tag, the sight of which identified him at every site he favored in the city.
That’s better.
*rolls eyes and kicks self* Ok, how half asleep was I when I pressed submit on the FIRST one too? Can we just delete all my attempts and start over? Maybe it’s time I just threw in the towel completely, obviously I’m better suited to Web design than I am writing.
“The sight of your brick-and-mortar site on the “About” page of your website will increase visitor trust, especially when you remember to correctly cite your photographer.”
and
“The young graffiti artist would cite his own work with a special tag, the sight of which identified him at every site he favored in the city.”
Remember to sleep before entering next time.
I cite the source of all pictures on my site directly below while I still have it in sight.
What I found at the site was a sight to behold; my students logged on to my grammar website and finally learned how to cite their sources correctly.
Hi Dawn,
I caught sight of your post on Deborah Ng’s website and decided to cite my views…loved it btw:)
Clara.
He cited the website for directions to the meeting site because she was unable to find it by sight.
It requires insight to apprehend the differences between site, cite and sight; failing to do so might incite a riot.
Okay, I’ll bite. Here is my entry.
The best sight of all is to see my quotation on your web site correctly cited to me.
I must cite an occurence at the site of some Grecian ruins, where an explorer caught sight of a strange carving on the wall that read “Romani ite domum” a hundred times.
Waxing nostalgic, he cited the many sights and sounds he witnessed traveling the Dead Head circuit of concert sites.