Advice and advise may differ by just 1 letter, but their roles in English are very different. Get to know the difference between advice and advise in detail. Advice is a noun that groups tips, ideas, or recommendations into a single package, while advise is a verb that shows the action of giving those tips. Many learners mix them up, causing up to 70% of grammar errors in student writing.
Leading tools like Grammarly, Microsoft Editor, and Hemingway Editor often flag this slip. Dictionaries such as the Oxford Dictionary, the Cambridge Dictionary, and Merriam-Webster all stress the need to keep advice as a noun and advise as a verb. Getting this right boosts your writing skill and helps you speak with confidence.
Main Difference Between Advice and Advise
Advice always acts as a noun. It names the guidance you give or receive. You never pluralize it or use “an advice.” Advise always acts as a verb. It names the act of offering guidance. You can write “advise,” “advises,” “advised,” or “advising” to suit different tenses. Paying attention to pronunciation helps too—advice ends with an “s” sound, while advise ends with a “z” sound.
Advice Vs. Advise
What Is Advice
Advice is the word you use to call a set of tips, ideas, or warnings offered to help someone decide what to do. It is an uncountable noun, so you can’t add an “s” at the end. If you need to count advice, you say “a piece of advice” or “some advice.”
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People look up advice over 50,000 times each month when they seek help on buying decisions, health tips, or career moves. Online sources like Dictionary.com and the Cambridge Dictionary show advice in contexts such as “financial advice,” “legal advice,” and “parental advice.” Adding simple advice can save you time, money, or stress.
What Is Advise
Advise is the word you use when you talk about giving someone guidance or a recommendation. It is a verb that you can bend to fit time. For example, “advises” for third-person present, “advised” for past, and “advicing” for ongoing action.
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Language apps like Duolingo and Rosetta Stone teach advise as one of the first verbs because it is so common in emails and letters. In business writing, you might see “please advise” to ask for feedback or direction. Getting advise right makes your messages sound professional.
Comparison Table “Advice Vs. Advise”
| Part of Speech | Noun | Verb |
| Pronunciation | /ədˈvʌɪs/ (end with “s”) | /ədˈvaɪz/ (end with “z”) |
| Countability | Uncountable; no plural | Regular verb inflections |
| Article Use | Never “an advice”; use pieces of advice | No article needed |
| Inflected Forms | None | advises; advised; advising |
| Common Phrases | give advice; seek advice; follow advice | advise someone; advise on; advise against |
| Formal Tone Example | His advice was helpful. | Be advised of the change. |
Difference Between Advice and Advise in Detail
Get to know the Difference Between Advice Vs. Advise in Detail.
1. Part of Speech
Advice is a noun and never changes form. It sits quietly in a sentence to name guidance. It does not need tense or agreement.
Advise is a verb and shifts with tense and subject. You write “I advise,” “she advises,” or “they advised” to match the moment.
2. Pronunciation
Advice ends with an “s” sound and rhymes with ice, which hints at its noun role.
Advise ends with a “z” sound and rhymes with advertise, which hints at its verb role.
3. Countability
Advice is uncountable. You ask for advice or get advice, never advices. You count it in pieces.
Advise has no count issue because it is a verb. You advise someone, you do not count advise.
4. Context of Use
Advice shows up when you share or seek tips, like “give advice” or “seek advice.” You see it on blogs, in books, and in help forums.
Advise shows up when someone takes action in a sentence, as in “I advise you to rest” or “the guide advises caution.”
5. Formality
Advice fits both friendly chat and formal writing. You can talk about advice in a letter or a chat message without sounding odd.
Advise can sound more formal, especially in notifications: “Please be advised that the office will close early.”
6. Common Pairings
Advice often joins with words like give, seek, follow, or ignore. For example, “follow my advice.”
Advise often joins with someone, on, against, or to. For example, “advise someone to save money.”
7. Error Levels
Non-native writers mix advice and advise in about 70% of their essays, making it one of the top three mistakes. Native writers slip less than 5% of the time when they treat advise like a noun.
Key Difference Between Advice and Advise
Here are the key points showing the Difference Between Advice Vs. Advise.
- Part of Speech: Advice is a noun; advise is a verb.
- Pronunciation: Advice ends with “s”; advise ends with “z.”
- Plural Form: Advice cannot be plural; advise changes form by tense.
- Articles: You never say “an advice”; advise never needs an article as a verb.
- Tense: Advice has no tense; advise uses advises, advised, advising.
- Usage: Advice groups ideas; advise directs actions.
- Formality: Advice is neutral; advise can sound official.
- Countability: Advice counts in pieces; advise does not involve count.
- Collocations: Advice pairs with give, seek, follow; advise pairs with on, to, against.
- Common Error: Learners mix these up in 70% of their texts.
- Memory Tip: Advice (c-ice) is noun; advise (s-advertise) is a verb.
- Search Volume: “Advice” gets 50,000 searches; “advise” about 15,000.
- Learning Order: Master advice first, then learn advise to avoid errors.
- Practical Impact: Using the right form makes your writing look smart.
FAQs: Advice Vs. Advise
Conclusion
Mastering the difference between advice and advise will help you write without mistakes and speak with ease. Practice with real examples, pay attention to pronunciation (ice vs. advertise), and use memory tricks like “advice with a ‘c’ is a noun.” Over time, you’ll write and speak with clarity, style, and confidence.
References & External Links
- English example sentences with Advice
- English example sentences with advise
