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Practice vs. practise is another commonly confused word pair that ends in “ice” and “ise.” They’re examples of homophones because they sound alike and only have one letter in the difference.
This word pair is particularly confusing because these words are used differently in American English vs. British English.
Keep reading to learn how to use practice and practise.
Table of Contents
What’s the Difference between Practice and Practise?
The difference between practice and practise depends on whether you are using American or British English spelling. In American English, practice is always right. In British English, it depends on what part of speech you need to use.
Practice Meaning
As a noun, Practice means a systemic exercise for proficiency or a habit or custom. It can also mean the continuous exercise of a profession or an office belonging to certain professionals such as a doctor’s or lawyer’s practice.
In American English, practice can also be a verb that means to carry out an action habitually or perform a task repeatedly so as to become proficient.
Practise Meaning
In British English, practise is a verb that means to master something by doing it repeatedly.
Practise is not used in American English.
How Do You Use Practice in a Sentence?
Examples of Practice Used as a Noun
The doctor’s practice was only open until 6 p.m.
Band practice was scheduled for every Tuesday at 5 p.m.
In practice, you can get away with being a few minutes late, but technically, your appointment starts at 10 a.m.
Example of Practice Used as a Verb in American English
He practiced the guitar every day until he sounded like a rock star.
How Do You Use Practise in a Sentence?
Examples of Practise Used as a Verb in British English
I used to practise my spelling every day until I became the spelling bee champion.
Jack’s lawyer lost her licence to practise law, but she didn’t tell him until it was too late.
(I deal with the whole licence vs. license conundrum over here!)
Difference Between American English and British English
As I mentioned above, in American English, the word practice functions as both a verb and a noun.
In British English, practice is a noun, and practise is a verb. The same logic applies to Australian and New Zealand dialects.
According to the Oxford Canadian Dictionary, both practice and practise are acceptable as both a verb and a noun. However, it lists practice as a noun first and practise as a verb first.
This is different to how the words advice and advise are treated in American vs. British English. In both dialects, advice is always a noun, and advise is always a verb.
Is It Best Practice or Practise?
The correct answer is best practice. Best practice means a procedure that has been shown by research to produce the optimum results. A procedure is a thing, which means it’s a noun. Practice = noun.
Is It Teaching Practice or Practise?
The correct answer is teaching practice. Teaching practice is a temporary period of teaching undertaken by a trainee teacher.
Practice vs. Practise Quiz
Test your knowledge of the difference between practice and practise with this quiz. For the purposes of this quiz, please use the British English rule. The answers are at the end of this blog post.
- Practice/Practise makes perfect.
- It was the only doctor’s practice/practise in town that handed out lollipops to adults.
- If you don’t practice/practise your baking skills, you’ll never win The Great British Bake Off!
- Peter was practicing/practising his dribbling skills at basketball practice/practise.
- Did you practice/practise your speech last night?
Final Thoughts on Practice vs. Practise
Before you decide which spelling to use, consider where your audience is based. If your audience is familiar with British English, use practice as a noun and practise as a verb. If your audience is familiar with American English, use practice as both a noun and a verb.
Practice vs. Practise Quiz Answers
- Practice makes perfect.
- It was the only doctor’s practice in town that handed out lollipops to adults.
- If you don’t practise your baking skills, you’ll never win The Great British Bake Off!
- Peter was practising his dribbling skills at basketball practice.
- Did you practise your speech last night?
