"Prophesy" = the VERB (to predict, to make a prophecy); "prophecy" = the NOUN (a prediction, a prophetic statement).
Verb: to make a prophecy, to predict the future, or to proclaim something as if by divine revelation. "He prophesied that the city would fall" = he predicted (prophetically) that the city would fall. Pronunciation: PROF-uh-SYE (the last syllable rhymes with "sigh", "size").
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.
Noun: a prophetic prediction or proclamation, something said to happen in the future (especially attributed to divine revelation). "The prophecy came true" = the prophecy was fulfilled. Pronunciation: PROF-uh-see (the last syllable rhymes with "see"). The two SOUND different.
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
The classic error: using "prophecy" (noun) where "prophesy" (verb) is needed, or vice versa. "She can prophecy the future" = INCORRECT (need the verb: "She can prophesy"). "He made a prophesy about the war" = INCORRECT (need the noun: "He made a prophecy"). The distinction is the same as "advice" (noun) vs "advise" (verb) or "practice" (noun) vs "practise" (verb in British). Verb = propheSY (-sy). Noun = propheCY (-cy).
Trick to remember it
The distinction is identical to the "advice/advise" pair: NOUN ends in "C" (propheCY, adviCe). VERB ends in "S" (propheSY, adviSe). Memory trick: the VERB ends in "-sy" like "busy" — BUSY doing the action of prophesying. The NOUN ends in "-cy" like "policy" — it IS something (a thing, a document). Also: they SOUND different. ProphesSY (rhymes with "sigh") = VERB. ProphecY (rhymes with "see") = NOUN. Hear the difference and you will never confuse the spelling.
Quick rule
Prophesy (with S) = verb (to predict, to make a prophetic statement). Prophecy (with C) = noun (the prediction itself). 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: 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 (verb and noun). In British English, the verb (with S) vs noun (with C) distinction is mandatory in all these pairs. In American English, only "advise/advice" and "prophesy/prophecy" maintain the mandatory distinction.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The ancient texts contained a _____ that described a great flood that would purify the land before a new era of peace.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Several respected analysts dared to _____ that the dominant social media platform would collapse within five years.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Prophesy (with S) = verb (to predict, to make a prophetic statement). Prophecy (with C) = noun (the prediction itself). Same pattern as: advise (verb) / advice (noun).
The classic error: using "prophecy" (noun) where "prophesy" (verb) is needed, or vice versa. "She can prophecy the future" = INCORRECT (need the verb: "She can prophesy"). "He made a prophesy about the war" = INCORRECT (need the noun: "He made a prophecy"). The distinction is the same as "advice" (noun) vs "advise" (verb) or "practice" (noun) vs "practise" (verb in British). Verb = propheSY (-sy). Noun = propheCY (-cy).
The distinction is identical to the "advice/advise" pair: NOUN ends in "C" (propheCY, adviCe). VERB ends in "S" (propheSY, adviSe). Memory trick: the VERB ends in "-sy" like "busy" — BUSY doing the action of prophesying. The NOUN ends in "-cy" like "policy" — it IS something (a thing, a document). Also: they SOUND different. ProphesSY (rhymes with "sigh") = VERB. ProphecY (rhymes with "see") = NOUN. Hear the difference and you will never confuse the spelling.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy