Confusables Entry 156 / 1011 60-second read

Elicit vs. Illicit

To draw out a response versus something illegal.

The comparisoni

✗ Wrong

We need to illicit feedback from the beta testers.

✓ Correct

We need to elicit feedback from the beta testers.

More examplesii

01

His behavior was elicit and unprofessional.

His behavior was illicit and unprofessional.

02

Try to illicit a smile from the baby.

Try to elicit a smile from the baby.

The ruleiii

ELICIT = to evoke or draw out (verb).

They are near-homophones with very different meanings, often appearing in professional/legal contexts.

Memory aidiv

Remember it like this

Elicit starts with E for Evoke. Illicit starts with I for Illegal.

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