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'Council' is a governing body or committee; 'counsel' is legal advice or the act of advising.
Side-by-side comparison
"Council" is a governing body or assembly: a group of people who make decisions together. A city council, a board of directors.
The city council approved the new zoning regulations.
She was elected to the student council in her second year.
The council met monthly to review community complaints.
"Counsel" is professional advice, guidance, or a lawyer. Also the verb to advise. A lawyer gives "counsel" to their client.
The company's legal counsel advised against signing the contract.
She counselled the employee through the redundancy process.
He kept his own counsel and never shared his strategy.
Common mistake
- •"Legal council" in legal writing is wrong: the legal advice or lawyer is "counsel".
- •"City counsel passed a law" is also wrong: the governing body is "council" (with IL).
Trick to remember it
- •"Council" ends in IL like "individuaLs", a group assembled to govern.
- •"Counsel" ends in SEL like "self", advice directed to someone's inner self.
Quick rule
- •Is it a governing body or committee? "Council".
- •Is it legal advice, guidance, or the act of advising? "Counsel".
Did you know?
In Anglo-American legal tradition, "counsel" refers to lawyers in court: "counsel for the defence" and "counsel for the prosecution". The US President has a "White House Counsel" (legal adviser), different from the "National Security Council" (a governing body). This exact difference between the two terms causes confusion even in serious journalism.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The city _____ voted to build a new library in the centre.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She decided to seek legal _____ before signing the contract.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
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.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy