To cite is to quote a source or refer to it formally. A site is a place — a building site, a website. Sight, the third homophone, is vision or something worth seeing. Cite is a verb, site is chiefly a noun, and sight covers both.
The core difference
Three homophones with three clear roles.
- cite (verb) — quote or refer to: cite a study.
- site (noun) — a location: the site of the battle, a website.
- sight — vision, or something seen: lost his sight, a welcome sight.
The related words
Citation is a reference to a source — and also a formal summons or an award for bravery, all from the same root: Latin citare, to summon. Site is from situs, position. Sight is Germanic and unrelated to either.
The one to watch
Site is now so bound up with websites that "cite your sources" occasionally appears as "site your sources". The verb is always cite.
Frequently asked questions
Which one means to quote a source?
Cite. A site is a place, and sight is vision.
Is "site your sources" correct?
No. It should be cite your sources — cite is the verb.
Where does citation come from?
Latin citare, to summon — which is why it also means a formal summons and an award commendation.