Advice vs advise
Advice is a noun for helpful ideas about what someone should do. Advise is a verb that means to give someone those ideas.
Advice rhymes with ice and is a thing. Advise rhymes with wise and is what you do.
advice noun
Helpful ideas or opinions you give someone about what they should do.
- She offered some practical advice on handling difficult coworkers.
- My best advice is to get some sleep before the exam.
advise verb
To tell someone what you think they should do.
- Doctors advise patients to drink plenty of water.
- I would advise you to leave early to avoid the traffic.
Watch out
- The two words sound different. Advice ends with an s sound, and advise ends with a z sound.
- Advise can also mean to tell someone something officially, often in business letters.We advise customers of any change to their account terms.
- In everyday English, advice is uncountable: say some advice or a piece of advice, not an advice. Only in a few specialist uses is an advice countable, such as a notice of a payment or, mainly in British law, a lawyer's written opinion.The bank issued an advice confirming that the funds had been credited to our account.
Test yourself
Can you give me some blank about which laptop to buy?
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advice. You give someone a thing here, so you need the noun.
I blank you to save part of every paycheck.
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advise. The sentence needs a verb for the action of telling someone what to do.
Her lawyer will blank her not to sign the contract.
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advise. After will, you need a verb, and advise is the verb.
That was the best blank anyone ever gave me.
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advice. The blank names the thing someone gave, so it needs the noun.