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Discreet most commonly means tactful, prudent, or careful to avoid revealing things that may cause embarrassment, such as when communicating sensitive information, as in a discreet message or You can tell her, but be discreet about it. Discrete means separate or distinct, as in discrete concepts or discrete parts.

Less commonly, discreet can also mean unobtrusive—a modest necklace may be described as discreet. In all cases, the word discreet is used in situations in which an effort is made to avoid calling attention to someone or something. When you’re being discreet, you’re showing discretion.

Discrete, on the other hand, is typically used in technical, non-personal contexts. It has more specific meanings in the context of math and statistics.

Here’s a fun way to remember the difference: in discreet, the two e’s are right next to each other—the one e looks like it’s discreetly whispering something in the other’s ear. In discrete, the two e’s are kept separate by the t in the middle.

Here’s an example of discreet and discrete used correctly in a sentence.

Example: He mistakenly thought the two parts were discrete, but I told him that they are in fact connected—in a discreet way, of course.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between discreet and discrete.

Should discreet or discrete be used in the following sentence?

In my mind, these two topics are entirely _____—they don’t overlap at all.