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Advice vs. advise is a commonly confused word pair that a lot of people get mixed up. They sound alike and only have one letter in the difference.
They are actually from two different parts of speech! One is a verb and the other is a noun. So how can you tell the difference between advice and advise?
Keep reading to find out!
Table of Contents
What’s the Difference Between Advice and Advise?
Advice and advise are homophones, which means they sound alike but have different meanings and spellings.
Advice Meaning
Advice is a noun that means a recommendation or an opinion given to someone or received from someone. You can give advice, and you can receive advice.
The end of the word advice sounds like “ice.”
Advise Meaning
Advise is a verb that means to give an opinion, recommendation, or information. In other words, to advise means to give advice! Confused now?
The end of the word advise sounds like “ize.”
How Do You Use Advice in a Sentence?
Advice is a mass or noncount noun, so it doesn’t have a plural form, i.e., you shouldn’t say “advices.”
Examples of Advice in a Sentence:
If you take my advice about ordering the chocolate cake, you won’t regret it.
Her father gave her advice even though he knew she would make her own decision in the end.
Your advice was neither asked for nor wanted.
Synonyms of Advice:
Guidance, input, counsel.
How Do You Use Advise in a Sentence?
As advise is a verb, your sentence will need a subject to perform the action of the verb.
Examples of Advise in a Sentence:
I advise you to marry for love not money.
Catherine never tires of advising aspiring proofreaders to hone their skills.
The estate agent advised the couple to hold out for a better offer.
Synonyms of Advise:
Counsel, guide, instruct.
Difference between American English and British English
Unlike with words like practice vs. practise or licence vs. license, there’s no difference between how advice and advise are used in American English vs. British English.
Advice is always a noun, and advise is always a verb.
Is It Please Advice or Advise?
As advise is a verb, it should be written as “please advise.”
Please advise is a formal request for information that can sometimes come across as stuffy or even a little bit rude. Use with caution.
Some grammar experts say that since advise is a transitive verb, it needs to have an object, i.e., someone needs to be advised of something. However, others believe that it should be obvious who needs to be advised from the context of the question. Usually this phrase occurs in email correspondence, so it’s often the person who wrote the email who’s looking for advice.
More Grammar Posts
Different From vs. Different Than
Advice vs. Advise Quiz
Test your knowledge of the difference between advice and advise with this quiz. The answers are at the end of this blog post.
- I advice/advise you to take my grammar advice/advise if you want to pass this quiz.
- You better get some legal advice/advise before you accuse her of committing that crime.
- I advice/advise you to think carefully before you take your next step.
- Please advice/advise whether we should visit your town in the winter or summer months.
- Her advice/advise was not only helpful but also extremely timely.
Final Thoughts on Advice vs. Advise
As long as you know what part of speech you’re looking for, you should be able to figure out which word you’re looking for. If you need a noun, use advice. If you need a verb, use advise.
Advice vs. Advise Quiz Answers
- I advise you to take my grammar advice if you want to pass this quiz.
- You better get some legal advice before you accuse her of committing that crime.
- I advise you to think carefully before you take your next step.
- Please advise whether we should visit your town in the winter or summer months.
- Her advice was not only helpful but also extremely timely.
