Indite vs Indict: What’s the Difference?

Quiz: Indite vs Indict

Flip cards: Indite vs Indict

Tap a card to flip it.

Indite vs indict is a classic homophone problem: the words sound identical, so your ear gives you no clue which spelling to use. One shows up in crime and court news, and the other turns up in formal or literary writing. Here is how to tell them apart, with examples you can borrow.

Indite vs indict: what is the difference?

The difference is that indict is a legal word about charging someone with a crime, while indite is a literary word about writing. Indict belongs in news stories about courts and prosecutors. Indite belongs in formal or poetic writing about composing a letter, a poem or a message.

Because both are pronounced the same way, only context separates them. If the sentence involves prosecutors, charges or a grand jury, you want indict. If it involves putting words on paper, you want indite, though in everyday writing you may simply use “write” or “compose” instead.

What does indict mean?

Indict means to formally charge someone with a crime, usually through a grand jury. It is a verb, and its noun form is indictment. In everyday news writing it is the far more common of the two words.

• The grand jury voted to indict the company’s former treasurer.
• Prosecutors indicted three people on fraud charges.
• The indictment was unsealed on Monday.

An indictment is a formal accusation, not a verdict. Being indicted means a person has been charged; it does not mean they have been found guilty.

What does indite mean?

Indite means to compose or write something, especially in a formal or literary way. It is a transitive verb, so it takes an object: you indite a poem, a letter or a message. Its forms are indites, indited and inditing.

• She sat down to indite a poem for her sister.
• He spent the evening inditing a message to the editor.
• The author indited a long letter of thanks.

The word has a formal, slightly old-fashioned tone, which is why many modern writers choose “write” or “compose” instead.

Is indite a real word?

Yes, indite is a real word and dictionaries list it as a verb meaning to compose or write. It is rarely used in contemporary English, so you will see it mostly in literary, historical or formal writing.

Because it is uncommon, many readers will assume that indite is a misspelling of indict. If you use it on purpose, make sure the context is clearly about writing, so your meaning cannot be mistaken for a legal charge.

Why do indite and indict sound the same?

They sound the same because indict keeps a silent c, and both words are pronounced in-DITE. They are also related: according to Merriam-Webster, both descend from the Latin indicere, and indict arose in the 16th century as an alteration of indite.

That shared origin explains the near-identical spelling. Over time the two words settled into separate jobs, with indict taking the legal meaning and indite keeping the sense of writing.

What is the difference between indict and convict?

To indict is to formally charge someone, while to convict is to find them guilty. An indictment starts the legal process; a conviction comes only after a trial or a guilty plea.

This matters when you write about the news. Say that a person was indicted when they have been charged, and say convicted only after a guilty verdict.

How can you remember which one to use?

Link the C in indict to crime, and link indite to write, since both end in the same sound. If the sentence is about a crime, you need the spelling with the C.

Try it. “The grand jury will ___ the senator” is about a charge, so indict. “The poet will ___ a sonnet” is about writing, so indite. When writing is the point, you can also just use “write,” which avoids the confusion entirely.

Common mistakes with indite vs indict

• The grand jury will indite the senator. → The grand jury will indict the senator.
• The poet indicted a sonnet by candlelight. → The poet indited a sonnet by candlelight.
• He was indited on fraud charges. → He was indicted on fraud charges.
• Prosecutors announced the inditement on Monday. → Prosecutors announced the indictment on Monday.
• An indicted person has been found guilty. → An indicted person has been charged, not found guilty.

Memory tricks

• C for crime: indict has a silent C, like crime and court. If it is about a charge, keep the C.
• Write rhyme: indite ends in the same sound as write, and indite means to write.
• Swap test: if you can replace it with “charge,” use indict. If you can replace it with “write” or “compose,” use indite.

Frequently asked questions

Are indict and indite pronounced the same?

Yes. Both are pronounced in-DITE, which is why they are easy to confuse. Indict has a silent c.

Is indite a real word?

Yes. Indite is a real, formal verb that means to write or compose, but it is rarely used in contemporary English.

What does indict mean in law?

To indict is to formally charge someone with a crime, usually through a grand jury. An indictment is a charge, not a finding of guilt.

What is the noun form of indict?

The noun is indictment, as in the indictment was unsealed on Monday.

Which word is more common, indict or indite?

Indict is far more common, because it appears constantly in news about courts and crime. Indite is rarely used today.

Indite vs indict: the bottom line

Indite vs indict comes down to meaning: indict is to charge someone with a crime, and indite is to write or compose. They sound identical, so rely on the spelling and the C for crime. Share this with someone who mixes these up, and test them with the quiz.