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TOEIC Link Part 5: discreet versus discrete

Discreet and discrete are homophones, so Part 5 pairs them to test spelling-by-meaning, not sound. Discreet means careful and tactful about what you reveal; discrete means separate and individually distinct. Reading whether the slot describes someone being prudent or describes things being countable and distinct settles the choice faster than trusting your ear.

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TOEIC Link Part 5: discreet versus discrete

Discreet and discrete are homophones — they are pronounced the same — so Part 5 sets them in the same item knowing your ear cannot tell them apart. This is a word-choice question, not a word-form one: both are adjectives, so you cannot eliminate either by part of speech. The only reliable signal is meaning, read off the surrounding nouns and context. Once you see whether the blank is about a person being careful or about things being separate, the answer settles itself. If this distinction feels unfamiliar, review word choice versus word form first — it explains why some Part 5 items are decided by meaning alone.

The core rule: careful versus separate

  • discreet is an adjective meaning careful and tactful, especially about not revealing private information: Please be discreet about the merger until it is announced. / The assistant handled the complaint in a discreet manner. It describes behavior, judgment, or prudence.
  • discrete is an adjective meaning separate, individually distinct, not continuous: The project breaks into three discrete phases. / Each invoice is a discrete transaction. It describes things that are countable and clearly divided from one another.

A memory hook that holds: in discrete the two e's are s-e-p-a-r-a-t-e-d by the t — the word is literally split, like the separate things it describes. In discreet the e's sit together, keeping a secret close.

How to read the slot

You can usually decide from the noun the adjective modifies.

  • Describing a person, behavior, or handling of information → discreet. In a discreet inquiry, discreet about the figures, remain discreet, the blank is about prudence and tact. Discrete cannot do this job — things are never "tactful."
  • Describing units, parts, stages, or categories → discrete. In discrete units, discrete categories, into discrete steps, the blank is about separateness and countability.

The fastest test: ask whether you could replace the word with "tactful" (then it is discreet) or with "separate" (then it is discrete). Only one will make sense.

Common Part 5 traps

  • Confidentiality contexts pull toward discreet. TOEIC passages about negotiations, HR matters, and announcements favor the tactful sense: keep the talks discreet, a discreet word with the manager.
  • Process and data contexts pull toward discrete. Anything broken into stages, components, or categories points to the separate sense: discrete phases, discrete data points, discrete product lines.
  • Do not let "private" alone decide it. A business setting can host either word; read the noun, not the topic.

Quick check

Decide which word fits, then confirm with the replacement test.

  1. The audit divides the year into four (blank) reporting periods.
  2. The lawyer was asked to remain (blank) about the settlement terms.
  3. Each warehouse is treated as a (blank) cost center.
  4. We need someone (blank) enough to handle sensitive personnel files.

Answers: 1. discrete (separate periods) 2. discreet (tactful, careful) 3. discrete (separate unit) 4. discreet (prudent person).

The takeaway

When two answer choices sound identical, Part 5 is testing meaning, not spelling instinct. Read the noun the adjective attaches to: people and behavior take discreet; units and stages take discrete. For more homophone pairs that work the same way, see complement versus compliment and principal versus principle.