Advise vs. Advice: What’s the Difference?

Advise vs. Advice: What's the Difference? Image

Advise and advice are often used interchangeably in writing. However, doing so is certainly not advisable: these words represent two different parts of speech (verb and noun, respectively) and are even pronounced differently.

Read on for more on the difference between advise and advice so you can learn how to use each appropriately in writing and in speech.

Advise vs. Advice

The primary difference between advise and advice is summarized below:

  • Advise (pronounced ad-vize) is a verb, which means to give advice, or to make a suggestion or recommendation.
  • Advice (pronounced ad-vais) is a noun. It’s the thing that someone is offering when they advise. It’s a recommendation or suggestion.

Definition of Advise

Advise is a verb. It’s what guidance counselors, lawyers, and parents do regularly. (Oh, and don’t forget Tom Hagen in The Godfather).

From advise comes a number of related words, including:

  • Advisor (one who gives advice)
  • Advisory (containing advice, as in a winter weather advisory)
  • Advisee (one who is advised)
  • Advisable (reflecting wisdom; fit to be advised)

The phrase “please advise” (NOT “please advice”) is common in the workplace. It’s a request for suggestions or recommendations regarding how to proceed.

Examples of Advise in a Sentence

Below are more examples of how advise can be used in sentences:

  • I would advise you to stay home today; the weather looks nasty.
  • The president’s staff advised him to refrain from making any last-minute changes to his speech.
  • Please advise me on what I should do next.
  • He wanted to advise his brother responsibly, but he wasn’t sure how.
  • I feel it’s my responsibility to advise you.

Definition of Advice

Advice is a noun. It’s the thing that someone gives when they advise. Usually, it refers to recommendations regarding actions or decisions to be made.

The professions mentioned above—guidance counselors, lawyers, etc.—are all people who give advice. You may have also heard the expressions “sound advice” (meaning good advice), “pieces of advice” or “words of advice.”

Examples of Advice in a Sentence

Below are several examples of how advice can be used in sentences:

  • Her question was answered in the local newspaper’s advice column.
  • He loves to offer unsolicited advice, much to the annoyance of his coworkers.
  • Whenever I need advice, I go to my mom.
  • My counselor is great at giving advice about college applications.
  • Do you think that’s sound advice?

Take Our Advice

To remember which is the verb and which is the noun, you might remind yourself that many verbs end in –ise (compromise, exercise, despise, and many more, especially if you’re British) and many nouns end in –ice (such as vice, spice, or rice).

To review more confusing word pairs, check out our posts on farther vs. further, emigrate vs. immigrate, and more.

Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

 

If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Think Pieces: What They Are and How to Write One

Image
A think piece, also known as a thought piece, is an article or piece of writing intended to stir up the reader’s thoughts. It is usually speculative, with a lot of expository material, context, and the author’s analysis and opinion of existing ideas. Sometimes, think pieces can lean toward the controversial, especially when they seek to challenge majority opinions. Particularly provocative pieces are often the ones that get shared all over social media or the internet. Editors of magazines, blogs, and websites often pay for think pieces, but they are not that easy to write. This is perhaps why many writers aspire to be published in mainstream publications like The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Economist, The Atlantic, and The Saturday Evening Post , but their submissions barely get a sideways glance.  The good news is that getting a think piece published does not depend on your name or reputation; instead, quality is king. The key is being able to think deeply about a topic
Read more

The Best Mobile Apps for Writers

Image
If you’re a writer looking for a better way to write on your smartphone or mobile device, this post will help. Using a text app or word processor just won’t cut it if you’re doing heavy duty writing on a mobile device. These tools can help whether you have an Android or Apple device. 1. IWriter iWriter is a writing tool that functions excellently on Android and iOS. It is the best app for writing articles, books, or taking detailed notes. iWriter is a simple and elegant text editor. You can download it via iTunes or Google Play . You can check out iWriter subscription pricing here. 2. JotterPad Jotterpad makes it possible to convert files from PDF to WORD and some other popular formats. The app supports Markdown. It includes text styling, a thesaurus, a built-in dictionary that’ll even help you rhyme. It has essential features such as snapshots, typewriter scrolling, undo/redo, night vision, universal dark theme, and phrase finder. JotterPad supports full Cloud integratio
Read more

8 Best Journal Apps to Track Your Gratitude, Health, and Memories

Image
Keeping a journal can provide a number of proven health benefits, including help with depression, anxiety, and stress. However, finding time to sit down and scribble out your feelings with a pen and notebook isn’t always easy. But one thing you probably always have within reach? Your phone! Journaling doesn’t require a fancy leather-bound notebook or fountain tip pen. You can track your thoughts with pretty much anything, from a napkin, to loose leaf paper, and, of course, apps! There are some pretty fantastic journal apps out there that can help you track your memories, health, gratitude, and more. Most will even send you reminders to help you stay on track with your journaling goals! The Best Journal Apps We’ve compiled a list of the 8 best journal apps that make staying in tune with your thoughts and feelings easier than ever before. Check out our top picks below! 1. Day One Day One makes journaling fun and easy with user-friendly templates that will inspire you to write,
Read more