Cool MateQuiet vs Still
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Quiet
Top 1,000 (very common)A1adjective
Still
Top 1,000 (very common)A1adverb
| Quiet | Still | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈkwaɪət/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈkwaɪət/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/stɪl/"]/🇺🇸 /["/stɪl/"]/ |
| Meaning | Not making much noise. | not moving; quiet |
| Example | The library is a quiet place to study. | She is still waiting for her friends to arrive. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | A1 | A1 |
| Part of speech | adjective | adverb |
| Collocations | be, become, fall, extremely, fairly, very, about, nice (and) quiet, be, look, seem, extremely, fairly, very, be, look, seem, extremely, fairly, very | still water, still life, still waiting, still standing |
| Antonyms | loud, noisy, boisterous | yet, already |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'quite' — 'quite' means very or completely., Using 'quiet' as a verb — it is only an adjective., Omitting it when describing a quiet environment. | Confused with 'steal', leading to incorrect usage., Using it in a question when it should be a statement, e.g., 'Is it still raining?' incorrectly phrased as 'Is still it raining?'., Overusing in sequences; proper placement in a sentence can be tricky. |
| Usage notes | Use 'quiet' to describe places or people that make little noise. Avoid using it in loud or chaotic situations. | Used to describe something that is not changing or happening yet. Appropriate in both spoken and written contexts, but can sound more formal when used in written form. |
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Frequently asked questions: Quiet vs Still
What's the difference between Quiet and Still?
Quiet: Not making much noise. Still: not moving; quiet
Are Quiet and Still the same CEFR level?
Quiet: A1, Still: A1 on the CEFR scale.
Can I use Quiet and Still interchangeably?
Not always. Quiet and Still are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.