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“Tic” or “Tick”

tic / tick are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term.

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Definitions

What each term means

Same sound, different spellings and meanings, shown with a pronunciation guide for each term.

tic t·IH·k

  • nouna local and habitual twitching especially in the face.

tick t·IH·k

  • nouna metallic tapping sound.
  • nounany of two families of small parasitic arachnids with barbed proboscis; feed on blood of warm-blooded animals.
  • nouna light mattress.
  • verbmake a sound like a clock or a timer.
  • verbsew.
Usage

Examples in context

Real sentences for each spelling. Hover an example to copy it.

“tic”

  • 1998 Tic Tac Toe
  • Tic Bridge
  • In the case of tics, these components are intended to…
  • Tic Forrester (D)
  • Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), based on HRT, is…
  • Clinton "Tic" Bridge (born 30 November 1983)…
  • 1998 Tic Tac Toe: "Warum"
  • …Pegboard test predicted worse adult tic severity and correlated with tic…
  • …character was given a "nervous tic in one eye" to make…
  • …or sensation occurring before a tic.

“tick”

  • …co-author of What Makes You Tick?
  • Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, the rabbit tick (occasionally known as the grouse…
  • The rabbit tick is often found on the…
  • The rabbit tick is extremely host specific and…
  • …Schoen released What Makes You Tick?
  • …from the egg, the rabbit tick finds a host and takes…
  • The Tick (one episode) (1996)
  • Also, in 1994, The Tick, an animated superhero/satirical Children's show…
  • It is a three-host tick and a member of the…
  • E-mini Dow futures (ticker: YM) contract's minimum tick is…

Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions are drawn from WordNet.

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