Advise vs. Advice – Differences and Definitions

One wrong letter can mean much more than a simple spelling error. Sometimes, it can mean the difference between a grammatically correct sentence and an improper one. When it comes to the words advise and advice, that letter flips the switch on the actual word type. One second it’s a verb, the next it’s a noun, and verbs and nouns don’t do well when we try to substitute them for each other.

If you’re stuck on the difference between advise vs. advice, keep on reading. We’ll examine the definitions of both words, and use them in some sample sentences to help you get a hang of their meanings. For more in-depth language tutorials, check out this introduction to English grammar course.

Advise vs. Advice

In this guide, I will advise readers of proper English grammar. If they follow my advice, they will never confuse these two words again. Do you see how these two words function differently in their respective sentences? Advise is an action people do, while advice is a thing people give to or take from one another. One is a verb and the other is a noun, where a verb is a word used to describe an action, and a noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. Need a grammar boost? Learn all the English grammar essentials in this course.

The Definition of Advise

The dictionary definition of advise, according to Merriam-Webster, is:

advise – verb

Syllabification: ad·vise Pronunciation: \əd-ˈvīz\ Definition:

• to give an opinion or suggestion to someone about what should be done
• to give information to

The most important thing to remember here is that advise with an s is a verb, which essentially means “to give advice.” But then, what does advice with a c mean?

The Definition of Advice

The dictionary definition of advice, according to Merriam-Webster, is:

advice – noun

Syllabification: ad·vice Pronunciation: \əd-ˈvīs\ Definition:

• an opinion or suggestion about what someone should do

If the spelling is what’s driving your confusion, check out this spelling course and learn how to improve your skills.

How to Use Advise vs. Advice

An easy way to remember the difference between advise and advice is pronunciation. It’s the difference between: əd-ˈvīz and əd-ˈvīs, where advise is said with more of a “zz” sound and advice is said with more of an “ss” sound. Ad-vize and ad-vice. The pronunciation for advise carries over for its numerous tenses as well: advise, advises, advised, advising, and advisor, the latter of which is a noun variant based on the word advise meaning someone who advises. The word advice is both the singular and plural, and has no variant. Learn more about proper English pronunciation in this course.

To remember each word’s grammatical function, we need to take a look at some sample sentences.

Advise

• “You should advise them of the risks before you let them make a decision.”
• “My teacher always advises me not to enroll in classes I don’t care about.”
• “She advised him to leave before they became angry.”
• “He will be advising you on the first day of work.”
• “She was my financial advisor during the trip.”

Advice

• “Can you give me some advice?”
• “He refused to take her advice, and now he’s in debt.”
• “Take my advice and apply for the job.”
• “She always listened to her mother’s advice.”
• “He took a break from work on his doctor’s advice.”
• “You should get advice from an actual expert.”

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Quiz

Fill in the blanks with the correct word! The answers will be listed at the end of this article. If you’re still stuck on grammar basics, check out this course on the elements of English grammar.

Word bank: advise, advises, advised, advising, adviser, advice

1. What do you _____ we do?
2. He’s never given me good _____.
3. Will you be my _____ for the night?
4. She had _____ me not to go.
5. Are you sure that’s the best _____?
6. He always _____ that we stay home.
7. Are you _____ that we go another time?
8. My friend’s _____ was never that reliable.
9. I was her _____ her first week on the job.
10. The professor _____ we bring our own pens to the exam.

Answers

1. advise
2. advice
3. adviser
4. advised
5. advice
6. advises/advised
7. advising
8. advice
9. adviser
10. advised

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