connect and tie share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. connect means “connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces”. tie means “neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front”. tie is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/kəˈnɛkt/
1.v.connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces
“Can you connect the two loudspeakers?”
2.v.make a logical or causal connection
“I cannot connect these two pieces of evidence in my mind”
3.v.be or become joined or united or linked
“The two streets connect to become a highway”
| connect | tie | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /kəˈnɛkt/ | /ˈtaɪ/ |
| Said | kuh-NEKT | tahy |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 7 | 3 |
| Parts of speech | verb | noun, verb |
| Senses | 11 | 18 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | link, tie, link up | necktie |
Full entry for connect · Full entry for tie · More comparisons
/ˈtaɪ/
1.n.neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front
“he stood in front of the mirror tightening his necktie”
2.n.a social or business relationship
“a valuable financial affiliation”
3.n.equality of score in a contest