Advice vs Advise? Which One is the Correct Spelling?

Even when stuck in the most challenging situations, people like it when other people bail them out and not dish out “advice”. To “advise” is easy, but to be at the receiving end of it is not. Another thing that people find difficult is using the right word in their texts when left to choose between “advice” and “advise”.

“Advice” is a noun that signifies “a piece of information or opinion”. “Advise” is a verb that means “to give out advice”. Both are correct spellings as they are two different words. One cannot be used in place of another. And there is no British or American English influence on them either.

Read on to learn more about the meanings of “advice” and “advise”, how they get used in texts, example sentences with the words to drive home further the point, and more.

“Advice” – Definition

“Advice” denotes “a recommendation or opinion”. It is information that “guides or intends to guide you on how to act in a situation”. The person offering “advice” is referred to as “advisor” or adviser”.

Synonyms or related terms for the word include “information”, “instruction”, “suggestion”, “guidance”, etc. For instance, a “piece of advice” can be rephrased as a “piece of information”.

“Advise” – Definition

“Advise” means “to give information”, “to recommend”, etc. “Advise” is “advice in action”, or it denotes “giving advice”. It could also mean “discussing things with someone” or “consulting”. The term has its roots in “aviser”, an Anglo-French word that means “opinion”. Terms synonymous with “advise” include “counsel”, “direct”, “caution”, “instruct”, “preach”, etc.

Difference Between “Advice” and “Advise”

“Advice” and “advise” may seem like the same words belonging to different dialects, but they are not. And, as clearly mentioned above, there’s a clear difference in their applications.

“Advice” is a noun, and “advise” is a verb. An “advice” is not the act of “advising”. Similarly, “advise” is not a piece of invaluable information.

In other words, when you’re in trouble, people offer you “advice” and not “advise”. And they “advise” you and not “advice” you.

Here are a couple of similar sentences that use “advice” and “advise” correctly:

• I would like your advice on this issue.
• I would like you to advise me on this issue.

Not to mention, the two are homophones, or they sound almost alike when pronounced. The letter “s” in “advise” is pronounced as “z”, whereas the “c” in “advice” is typically pronounced to sound like “s”.

That said, people who use these words in their speech are not necessarily focused on how to pronounce the “s” and “c” in the respective terms and tend to say them out identically. And that can be confusing to the discerning listener.

Remembering the Difference Between “Advice” and “Advise”

Since “advice” and “advise” are two different forms of the word, it’s imperative to ascertain the word you need in your sentence is a noun or a verb, not to use the wrong term.

But if you’re having a hard time remembering “advice” is a noun and “advise” is a verb, some mnemonic tricks may help.

“Advice” has the word “ice” in it. “Ice” is a noun. Use that link to remember “advice” is a noun. Also, “advice” is usually paired with another verb, such as “take”, “gave”, etc. If there are these verbs in your sentence, take it as a signal to use “advice”.

“Advice” also is likely to have an adjective right before it. So, if the adjectives used are “good”, “strong”, “reliable”, etc., follow them up with “advice” and not “advise”.

These mnemonic tricks for “advice” shall help with differentiating it from the verb “advise”.

Using “Advice” in Your Texts

“Advice” is a noun and, therefore, doesn’t perform actions in a sentence. “Advice” is typically used to denote a variety of things. It could be used to help the other person understand they should:

• act more responsibly,
• consult a physician,
• invest in assets, etc.

People also offer “advice” to explain to the other person what they would have done had they been in the given situation.

Also, as mentioned above, “advice” uses an adjective right before it. For example:

• He was always with her to offer solid advice.
• The doctor was offering her medical advice.
• His father gave him some financial advice.

“Advice” is uncountable. Or, you cannot have “multiple advices” or just “an advice”. This also means the articles “an” or “a” cannot be used before “advice”. For example:

• Jenna gave her son advice about how to talk to elders.

In the above sentence, it cannot be “advices” or “an advice”.

Also, “advice” in the sentence doesn’t signify whether Jenna gave her son just a “tip” or “piece of information” or she subjected him to a lengthy, five-minute speech.

At times, to quantify “advice”, the noun could be accompanied with terms that pluralize “advice”. Such phrases include “words of advice”, “pieces of advice”, “tidbits of advice”, etc.

To denote or establish the “singular” nature of the advice, expressions such as “word of advice”, “piece of advice”, etc., could be used. These expressions, however, are not typical and should be skirted whenever possible.

The “some advice” expression, however, is quite common. “Advice” typically uses the quantifier “some” before it, indicating the unspecified quantity or number. For example:

• She gave her some advice.
• Let me offer you some advice.

The word “some” is invariably used with either plural count nouns or mass nouns.

Using “Advise” in Writings

“Advise” is “doling out advice”. The following sentences illustrate that:

• The lawyer advised her client to refrain from signing any document in her absence.
• My dad always advises me to wear a jacket in movie theaters as the AC can get quite chilly in there.
• She was advised to draw up the will.

People “advise” in either a “friendly” or “stern” manner.

Medical professionals “advise” you strictly against or pro- certain medications. A friend “advising” is usually “casual”. Parents could “advise” in a “friendly” way and also imply “stricture”.

The verb can also be used in sentences to denote “bringing something to someone’s attention”. For example:

• He advised me of the experimental drug.
• The passengers onboard were advised of the inclement flying conditions.

“Advise” also means “discussing things with others”. For example, “She advised with him before taking the call”.

Example Sentences with the Term “Advice”

The following is a relatively exhaustive list of sentences using the noun “advice”:

• Call your lawyer and get some legal advice before you spring into action.
• The blog offers some excellent advice for first-time moms.
• My guidance counselor offered me some invaluable advice when I was not sure about studying further.
• She bought this house on the advice of her real estate manager.
• It’s okay to ask others for advice when you’re in deep trouble.
• Ask them for advice. I am busy.
• I took her advice and went on a mini-vacation with my family.
• The advice you offered me that day worked.
• Thanks a lot for the timely advice!
• My father gives me sound financial advice now and again.
• Contact our home improvement expert for further advice.
• What advice would you like to give me for my first day of university?
• She always offers me relationship advice.
• He is the last person I’ll go to for fashion advice.
• To not buy a cheap laptop for video editing was the best advice ever given to me.

Example Sentences with the Word “Advise”

Here is yet another long list of sentences employing the word “advise” so you get an even better understanding of how to use the verb in your texts:

• Tom advised her to stop taking those over-the-counter medicines as they were not helping her.
• Kindly advise him to stop drinking alcohol as it’s ruining his life.
• I always advise my buyers to sample the chocolate before buying them.
• Please advise.
• I advise you to exercise some caution.
• She advised me on how not to strain relationships with my close friends.
• My mother always advised me to follow my dreams.
• I advise you to stay away from the cliff’s edge.
• Please advise me on how to fill this application.
• She advised the students and staff on the safety protocols.
• The doctor advised him against smoking.
• We advised him of the consequences. He, therefore, cannot hold us responsible.
• She advised him of his rights.
• The lawyer advised her to get a proper estimate and correct billings of the house remodeling project.
• I advised her to sell the phone to an end-user and not trade it for the new phone purchase.
• We were considering buying the property, but our attorney advised against it.
• I strongly advise patience when handling kids.

Conclusion

“Advice” and “advise” do not mean different things but putting the same thing differently. In other words, they are unique word types, which determines how they end up getting used in sentences.

The issue people face when confronted with “advice” and advise” while writing has nothing to do with their meanings but not knowing when and how to use them in texts. The various explanations above and the long list of example sentences that followed should help you address those issues if you had any.

And if, for some reason, you thought “advise” is the U.K. English variant of “advice”, it’s not. Both the dialects use the two terms identically or to denote the same thing.