suit, suite

suit, suite
These words have a common origin but are used in different ways. One speaks of "a suit of clothes," "a suit at law," "a suit of cards." Suite means "a company of followers," "a connected series of rooms," "a musical composition." Suit is pronounced "syoot"; suite is pronounced "sweet." In standard usage, only suite can be applied to "matched furniture pieces," but in this usage suite is often pronounced incorrectly like suit. Why not avoid difficulty and say "set of furniture"?

Dictionary of problem words and expressions. . 1975.

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  • suit - suite — ◊ suit Suit is used as a verb or a noun. If something suits you, it is convenient, acceptable, or appropriate for you. Would Monday suit you? A job where I was indoors all day wouldn t suit me. You do not say that something suits to you. A …   Useful english dictionary

  • suite — suit, suite The two forms are in origin the same word, and differences of usage are the result of historical choices since the 17c. In modern English we speak of a suit of clothes, armour, and playing cards, as well as a lawsuit and paying suit… …   Modern English usage

  • suit — suit, suite The two forms are in origin the same word, and differences of usage are the result of historical choices since the 17c. In modern English we speak of a suit of clothes, armour, and playing cards, as well as a lawsuit and paying suit… …   Modern English usage

  • suite — Synonyms and related words: acid rock, adapted, apartment, array, attendance, attendant, attendants, avant garde jazz, ballroom music, batch, battery, bebop, block, body, body of retainers, boogie woogie, bop, chain, chambers, clutch, cohort,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • suit — See suit, suite …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • suit — sb. == do suit? [suite]. RG. 539 …   Oldest English Words

  • suite — See suit, suite …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • suite — [ sɥit ] n. f. • XIIIe; siute « poursuite en justice » 1080; a. p. p. de suivre; lat. pop. sequitus I ♦ A ♦ Action de poursuivre. 1 ♦ Dr. Droit de suite : droit qui permet au créancier hypothécaire de suivre l immeuble hypothéqué dans les mains… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • suite — Suit Suit (s[=u]t), n. [OE. suite, F. suite, OF. suite, sieute, fr. suivre to follow, OF. sivre; perhaps influenced by L. secta. See {Sue} to follow, and cf. {Sect}, {Suite}.] 1. The act of following or pursuing, as game; pursuit. [Obs.] [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • suite — Suit Suit (s[=u]t), n. [OE. suite, F. suite, OF. suite, sieute, fr. suivre to follow, OF. sivre; perhaps influenced by L. secta. See {Sue} to follow, and cf. {Sect}, {Suite}.] 1. The act of following or pursuing, as game; pursuit. [Obs.] [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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