Advise vs. Advice (Definitions and Example Sentences)

The words advice and advise sound incredibly similar. But mean entirely different things. In addition, they’re also different parts of speech. They cannot be interchanged. And when used incorrectly, can end up making a sentence sound nonsensical.

The two words are part of a group called “homophones”. These are words that sound similar but have completely different meanings and functions. Some other examples of homophones are words like “bolder” and “boulder”, “are” and “our,” or even “allude” and “elude”.

Let’s take a look at the words “advice” and “advise” to see what they mean, and what makes them different from each other. 

What does “advise” mean?

The word “advise” means giving someone counsel. It is the act of offering another person some kind of information. Rather, suggestions that could potentially act as a guide for their future decisions or actions. 

It is important to remember here that this word is an action being performed. A person does the act of advising, and not giving it.

It is a verb and must be used as a verb in a typical sentence. Although, the word can get conjugated, as most verbs can. 

What does “advice” mean?

The word advice is a synonym for counsel or guidance. It is that which is given to someone. The word advice is a noun.

Essentially, it is the name given to information or suggestions that could act as a guide for future decisions or actions.

“Advice” is an uncountable noun, in that it is unquantifiable. It is not a thing that cannot be felt by our five senses but is the name of a thing anyway.

This also means that it does not have a plural form. To create a plural form, other words need to be added before the word.

For example, it is okay to say “pieces of advice” but not “advices”. It is absolutely fine to use the word “some” before the word “advice” as well. For example, “looking for some advice.”

Difference between “advise” and “advice”

Here is the difference between “advise” and “advice.”

Meaning

The word “advice” is a noun, while “advise” is a verb.

They are different in usage and definitions. Advise is the act itself (present and past participle of providing advice), while “advice” is that which is being given when someone advises you. 

“Advise” cannot be given or taken, but “advice” can. 

Pronunciation

Though the two words sound identical, there is a slight difference in pronunciation when speaking them.

The word “advice” is spoken with, ironically enough, an “s” sound. It is also called a soft “c” sound by some. Theis is the kind of “s” sound you would say in the word “hissing”.

The word “advise” on the other hand, is spoken with a “Z” sound. The pronunciation stands even when the word is conjugated.

When to use “advise”

When to use the word “advice.”

Part of speech

Advise is a verb. It is an action getting performed, in this case, giving advice. It is a transitive verb. Transitive verbs are action words that require a direct object to complete the sentence.

This is different from regular verbs which do not require objects to show the action.

This can be seen in the following examples as well. Every sentence mentions the object. In some specific cases, the direct object does not immediately follow the verb.

For example, it is okay to say, “please be advised.”

This is, however, a very formal way of speaking that turns up in specific contexts.

The word advise is also other times used without the direct object, but that is usually done colloquially.

When using formal or proper language, it is best to avoid that.

Sentence examples

Sample sentences:

• I’d advise you to stick to your career for now.
• The prime minister was advised by his aids recently to have a conference with the leader of the opposing party.
• My teachers always advise me to concentrate on my studies instead of social politics in my friend groups.
• I’d advise him to wait a few days before following up.

When to use “advice”

When to use “advice.”

Part of speech

Advise is a noun. More specifically, it is an uncountable noun that does not use plurals.

This also means that the word cannot be used with a/an. 

Sentence examples

Here are sentence examples:

• I would like your advice on what I should do next
• My grandma gave great advice.
• Some of the best pieces of advice I have ever received come from a children’s book. 
• Your advice is greatly appreciated

Is it “please advise” or “please advice”

Grammatically speaking, “please advise” is the correct phrase to say. Though, from a technical point, it is an incomplete sentence. Due to the kind of verb form getting used, there needs to be an object specified after the word “advise.”

However, it is now accepted because the phrase was used widely for e-mails. For example, “Please advise on the next steps.”

One thing to note when using this phrase is that it can be seen as an unnecessary addition and can feel dated by the reader.

On top of that, the phrase isn’t formal and can sound pretty abrupt and rude if used by itself.

The body of the email or letter should, ideally, convey the message that advice is needed.

If not, depending on the context, it might be better to use other phrases or synonyms.

Even rewriting the phrase offers greater clarity, instead of just letting the phrase “please advise” hang isolated at the end. It sounds much better, for example, to instead say “some advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated.”