Secret or secret means something hidden from other people, or known only to those involved--
Don't tell about the surprise party. It's a secret.
Can you keep a secret?
Secret is also an old-fashioned verb ( action word ), meaning to hide something--
He was careful to secret the money in a hole in the wall.
Secrete or secrete ( pronounced seh-kreet ) means to emit or discharge a chemical or substance from a gland or cell of the body--
The pores of human skin secrete sweat and oil.
Human glands secrete hormones into our bodies.
Now that you know that, you can say--
"Don't worry; it's no secret that we secrete sweat when it's hot out."
Note--"secretive" describes a person who doesn't tell others what he knows--
He has been secretive lately, and hardly talks at all.
"Secretly" describes the actions of someone hiding something--
Let's discuss this secretly.
He asked her friends secretly what she would like for her birthday.
Note # 2--"secretion" is the noun ( thing or idea ) form of "secrete"--
Sweat is a bodily secretion.
Words that sound the same when we speak may actually be two different words--which matters when we write them down. Spellcheck cannot help with this--it will show each word and the writer has to choose--to disambiguate them, if you will. I intend to update this daily, with another set of words it is possible to confuse, beginning with the simplest and most important. Questions and comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label secretive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label secretive. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
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