Discrete Vs Discreet

Discrete Vs Discreet

ACT Prep - Hendley

Discrete Vs. Discreet

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/discreet-discrete/

No need to go there. This is just the source for this information.

Discrete Vs. Discreet

• Homophones -- they SOUND the same, but they have different definitions

• Discreet means "careful" or "intentionally unobtrusive"

• Discrete means "distinct" or "unconnected"

Multiple Choice

Which word means unconnected?

• discreet

• discrete

Multiple Choice

Which word would be used to describe a ninja hiding ?

• discreet

• discrete

Homophones can be confusing

• Homophones may SOUND alike but...

• they are often spelled differently

• Luckily, this helps us understand their meaning!

Discreet

• inconspicuous

• proper

• private

• unnoticeable

Discreet (examples)

• A person that handles problems without bringing attention to them.

• A stealthy ninja

• A covert spy

• A humble person that does not brag.

Forms of discreet

• "Discreet" is an adjective

• Adverb form: "discreetly"

• Noun forms: "discretion" (but less used is 'discreetness')

• (Yes, it is confusing because discretion drops an 'e')

Discrete

• Separate

• Unconnected

• 
  

• 
  

Discrete (examples)

• We covered a lot of topics in discrete math.

• A discrete graphics card had its own processor unit and memory.

• The furniture came in a five part discrete set.

• When we did projects in engineering class, we were in discrete groups, trying to come up with a better result than the other groups.

Forms of discrete

• "Discrete" is an adjective

• Adjective form is "discretely"

• Noun form is "discreteness"

• Hendley Tip: Discrete means unconnected. Notice the e's are always unconnected in these words. In the other homophone (discreet), they're together.

Multiple Choice

Which word best completes the sentence:

"In mathematics, a _ variable can only take certain values from a finite set, whereas a continuous variable can take any value." - paraphrased from the BBC

• discreet

• discrete

• discretely

• discreetly

Multiple Choice

Which word best completes the sentence:

"No one has asked to recreate any of the receptions in Four Weddings and a Funeral but it could probably be _ arranged." - Radio Times

• discreet

• discrete

• discretely

• discreetly

Multiple Choice

Which word best completes the sentence:

"Acquring knowledge often serves the public good, but deploying that knowledge is 50-50 at best. Recognizing the _ of these two elements of science is the surest way to reconcile them." - paraphrased from The Washington Post

• discreet

• discrete

• discreteness

• discreetness

Multiple Choice

Which word best completes the sentence:

"Some courses build on themselves each day building on what you learned the day before while others have separate topics you focus on from unit to unit. _ mathematics is an example of the latter."

• discreet

• discrete

• discreteness

• discreetness

Multiple Choice

Which word best completes the sentence:

"His _ was annoying; we could never tell what he was going to do because as soon as the meeting was over, he was dealing with something else none of us expected."

• discreet

• discrete

• discreteness

• discreetness

Multiple Choice

Which word best completes the sentence:

"When Joe was trying to plan his wife's birthday getaway, he knew their daughters would never be _ enough to keep it from their mom, so he came up with a second story they could tell her without ruining the real surprise."

• discreet

• discrete

• discreteness

• discreetness