Suit vs Suite
What’s the difference between them?
Suit
Meaning:
Suit is a noun that refers to a set of clothing, typically consisting of a matching jacket and trousers or skirt, made from the same fabric.
Examples:
1. He wore a navy blue suit to the wedding.
2. She chose a tailored power suit for her job interview.
3. The lawyer filed a civil suit against the company.
Suite
Meaning:
A suite is a set of rooms, typically connected and adjoining each other, used as living or sleeping areas in a residence. It can also be a collection of something related to one sphere.
Examples:
1. The suite of rooms in the hotel were luxurious and spacious.
2. The band performed a stunning suite of songs at the concert.
3. We attended a wedding in the grand ballroom suite.
Learn similar and opposite words to spot the difference
Synonyms
Antonyms
Suit
Outfit
ensemble
There are no direct antonyms for this word.
Suite
Set
collection
There are no direct antonyms for this word.
Tricks for mastery
Useful tips to understand the difference between confusing words "Suit", "Suite".
1. Suit is a noun meaning a set of clothes, typically consisting of a jacket and trousers.
2. Suite is a noun meaning a set of rooms, typically in a hotel, used by one person or a family.
3. Think of the phrase 'suit yourself'—the word 'suit' in this phrase refers to clothing.
4. Think of the phrase 'hotel suite' - the word 'suite' may remind you of a suite of rooms, which often consists of multiple bedrooms.
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Frequently asked questions
When to use the first word?
The word ‘suit’ is most commonly used to refer to a set of clothes, usually a jacket and trousers or a skirt. It is often used in a business context, for example when someone says they are going to ‘put on a suit’ for an important meeting. It can also be used to refer to a law case, for example, ‘the plaintiff is suing the defendant in a civil suit’.
When to use the second word?
The word ‘suite’ is used to refer to a set of rooms, usually of the same size, connected by a door. It is most commonly used to refer to hotel or motel rooms, for example ‘I booked a suite at the Hilton’. It can also be used to refer to a set of furniture, for example ‘she bought a new bedroom suite’.
Do the words have the same pronunciation?
No, the words have different pronunciations. The word ‘suit’ is pronounced ‘soot’, with the ‘u’ sounding like the ‘u’ in ‘put’, while the word ‘suite’ is pronounced ‘sweet’, with the ‘u’ sounding like the ‘u’ in ‘mute’.
What are common mistakes associated with words ‘suit’ and ‘suite’?
One of the most common mistakes is confusing the two words. Although they look and sound similar, they have different meanings. Another common mistake is using the wrong pronunciation. As mentioned previously, the pronunciation of ‘suit’ is ‘soot’ and the pronunciation of ‘suite’ is ‘sweet’. It is also important to remember that ‘suit’ is used to refer to clothes or a law case, while ‘suite’ is used to refer to a set of rooms or furniture.
Fill in the gaps to check yourself
1. The bride wore a beautiful white ________ on her wedding day.
2. The presidential ________ of the hotel was more luxurious than the standard rooms.
3. The phone app was easy to ________ up and use.
4. The company had to ________ their business software to keep up with the competition.
5. The new computer ________ works with all operating systems.
6. Her ________ of poems was incredibly well received by the audience.
1. suit.
Explanation: The term suit is used to describe a complete set of garments, typically including a jacket and trousers, worn together as formal or semi-formal attire.
2. suite.
Explanation: The term suite is used to describe a set of rooms for lodging, typically found in a hotel. A presidential suite would be a higher end room with more luxurious features than the standard rooms.
3. suit.
Explanation: The phrase suit up is used to describe the act of dressing oneself in clothing appropriate for a particular task or event. In this example, the phone app was dressed up with the necessary features and settings to make it easy to use.
4. suite.
Explanation: The term suite can also be used to describe a collection of software with related capabilities. In this example, the company had to update their existing software collection to keep up with the competition.
5. suite.
Explanation: The term suite can also be used to describe a collection of software with related capabilities. In this example, the new computer suite is a collection of software that works with all operating systems.
6. suit.
Explanation: The term suit can also be used to describe a collection of related items. In this example, the authors collection of poems was a suit that was incredibly well received by the audience.
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Download the PDF with a list of commonly confused words made as flashcards for comfortable learning.
List of Commonly Confused Words
Finding your way around the English language can be hard, especially since there are so many confusing words and rules. So, a list of the most confusing words in English is an extremely useful tool for improving language accuracy and sharing the ideas clearly.