How to Use Minute vs. Minuet: What's the Difference?

"Minute" refers to a unit of time or something small.
"Minuet" refers to a specific type of dance or the music associated with it.

For example...

⌚ Please give me a minute to finish writing this email.

🎵 She learned to play the minuet on the piano.

The difference between minute and minuet

Minute - a unit of time

As a noun, "minute" refers to a unit of time equal to sixty seconds or a sixtieth of an hour. It can also mean a brief period or moment, or a written record of a meeting or proceeding.

As an adjective, "minute" can mean extremely small or tiny, as in "If you look closely, you can see a few minute differences between the real painting and the fake painting."

Minuet - a dance or song

A "minuet" is a slow, stately dance in triple time, popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, often as part of a suite of dances. It can also refer to a piece of music written for this dance.

How to Use Minute vs. Minuet: What's the Difference?

The use of "minute" and "minuet" over time

The Ngram graph below shows how often "minute" and "minuet" have been used from the 1800s to the 2000s. "Minute" has experienced an increase in use in the last 20 years, while "minuet" is used much less frequently.

How to pronounce "minute" and "minuet

In American and British English, when "minute" refers to time, it's pronounced like "min·uht," with the stress on the first syllable. When "minute" means small, it's pronounced like "mai·noot" or "mai·nyoot," with the stress on the second syllable.

In American and British English, "minuet" is pronounced like "mi·nyoo·et."

Additional notes:
These are just the standard pronunciations, and there may be slight variations depending on regional accents and individual speech patterns.

Example sentences of "minute"

Hold on for a minute, I'll be right back.
The meeting lasted for over an hour, but we only discussed the budget for one minute.
He examined the painting carefully, studying every minute detail.
In just a few minutes, the sun dipped below the horizon.
I'll need a few extra minutes to finish this task.
The bus will arrive in just a minute, so be ready to board.
She glanced at her watch and realized she had missed the train by a mere minute.
The doctor asked me to count how many heartbeats I could feel in a sixty-second minute.
It's important to take a few minutes each day to relax and unwind.
She explained the project in minute detail.

Example sentences of "minuet"

The ballroom was filled with couples gracefully dancing the minuet.
Mozart composed several elegant minuets for his piano sonatas.
The music teacher instructed her students on the proper steps for the minuet.
At the royal court, nobles often danced the minuet during formal events.
The orchestra played a beautiful rendition of the famous minuet.
In the 18th century, the minuet was a popular dance at social gatherings.
She practiced the minuet tirelessly to perfect her performance for the recital.
The guests were delighted when the band struck up a lively minuet.
The choreographer added a modern twist to the traditional minuet for the ballet.
Learning the intricate steps of the minuet required patience and dedication.

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Synonyms for "minute"

There are no synonyms for the meaning of "minute" related to time, but there are synonyms for the meaning of "minute" related to smallness.

Small
Tiny
Little
Miniature
Microscopic
Petite

FAQ

What are the two meanings of "minute"?

Unit of Time: As a noun, "minute" refers to a unit of time equal to sixty seconds or one sixtieth of an hour. For example, "We waited for him for twenty minutes."
Small or Tiny: As an adjective, "minute" can also mean extremely small or tiny. For example, "He found a minute insect crawling on the leaf."

How do you spell "minute" as in small?

The word "minute" meaning "small" is spelled as "minute." However, it is pronounced differently from the word "minute" meaning a unit of time. When "minute" refers to time, it's pronounced like "min·uht," with the stress on the first syllable. When "minute" means small, it's pronounced like "mai·noot" or "mai·nyoot," with the stress on the second syllable.

Does "minuet" mean small?

No, "minuet" does not mean "small." A "minuet" is a type of slow, graceful dance in triple meter that was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is also a term used for the music written for this dance. "Minute" means small.

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