ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediateverbosustantivo
ProphesyvsProphecy
'Prophesy' is the verb (to predict or foretell); 'prophecy' is the noun (a prediction or prophetic statement).
Side-by-side comparison
Prophesy
verbo"Prophesy" (with 's') is the verb: to predict or announce something as if it were a divine or supernatural revelation.
The oracle prophesied that the kingdom would be destroyed if the king refused to change his ways.
Economists who prophesied a market crash six months ago are now being hailed as visionaries.
She prophesied their breakup would happen within a year, and she was right.
Prophecy
sustantivo"Prophecy" (with 'c') is the noun: the prediction or revelation itself. They are pronounced differently: the verb ends in 'sigh', the noun ends in 'see'.
The ancient prophecy carved into the temple wall described a comet that would appear before a great change.
The prophecy of the oracle had been passed down through generations, each adding their own interpretation.
Whether the prophecy is self-fulfilling or genuinely predictive remains a subject of debate.
Common mistake
"She can prophecy the future" is wrong: "prophecy" is the noun; the verb is "prophesy." And "He made a prophesy about the war" is wrong: "prophesy" is the verb; the noun is "prophecy." Same pattern as "advise" (verb) vs "advice" (noun).
Trick to remember it
- •The verb ends in -SY (propheSY, rhymes with "sigh"), the noun ends in -CY (propheCY, rhymes with "see"): they sound different and spell different.
- •Same as: adviSe (verb) / adviCe (noun).
Quick rule
- •"Prophesy" (with S) = verb (to predict).
- •"Prophecy" (with C) = noun (the prediction).
- •Same pattern as: "advise" (verb) / "advice" (noun).
Did you know?
The prophesy/prophecy pair is one of several verb/noun pairs in English that differ only in the final vowel or consonant: advise/advice, practise/practice (in British English), devise/device, license/licence (in British English). In American English, "practice" and "license" are used for both functions, simplifying the system. In British English, the verb (-ise/-ice) vs noun (-ice/-yce) distinction is stricter. Only "advise/advice" and "prophesy/prophecy" maintain the distinction universally in both varieties. The irony? "Prophecy" is probably the most culturally prominent word in this family, and also one of the most frequently misspelled.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The ancient _____ said a great king would be born that winter.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She claimed she could _____ the future by reading palms.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
AdvicevsAdvise
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
DiscretevsDiscreet
"Discrete" = separate, distinct, independent; "discreet" = careful and prudent, not revealing private information.
AcceptvsExcept
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
AffectvsEffect
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy