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'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
Side-by-side comparison
"Advice" is the noun: the counsel itself. It is uncountable: you do not say "an advice" but "a piece of advice". It is pronounced with a soft 's'.
My lawyer gave me some very useful advice.
The best advice I ever received was to listen more.
I need your advice on how to handle this situation.
"Advise" is the verb: to counsel or recommend something to someone. It is pronounced with a 'z' sound. The doctor "advises" the patient; the counsel given is "advice".
I would advise you to read the contract carefully.
She advised the team to postpone the launch.
He was advised against signing until the lawyers reviewed it.
Common mistake
- •Using "advice" as a verb is the most common mistake: "She adviced him" is wrong because "advice" is always a noun.
- •The verb is "advise": "She advised him".
Trick to remember it
- •"Advice" with a C sounds like "ice", cold and still, like a noun.
- •"Advise" with an S sounds like verbs ending in "-ize" (realize, organize): it is always the verb.
Quick rule
- •"Advice" = the counsel (noun).
- •"Advise" = to counsel (verb).
- •C for concept, S for the action.
Did you know?
British English has other pairs with the same pattern: "practice" (noun) vs "practise" (verb) and "licence" (noun) vs "license" (verb). American English dropped the distinction: "practice" and "license" serve both functions there. If you read a text using "practise" or "licence", you can be sure the writer is British.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
My teacher gave me some great _____ for my exam preparation.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Can you _____ me on what to do? I have no idea.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
'Allowed' is the past tense of 'allow' (to permit); 'aloud' means making an audible sound.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy