Advice vs Advise: Noun vs Verb Explained

Q: Can I say “an advice”?

No. Advice is an uncountable noun and cannot be preceded by "a" or "an." You cannot say "an advice" or "two advices." Instead, use: some advice, a piece of advice, a word of advice, a lot of advice.

Q: How do I pronounce advice and advise differently?

Advice ends in the unvoiced sound /s/, rhyming with "ice." Advise ends in the voiced sound /z/, rhyming with "eyes." This pronunciation difference mirrors the noun/verb distinction.

Q: Does the same -ce/-se rule apply to other words?

Yes. In British English: practice (noun) / practise (verb); device (noun) / devise (verb); licence (noun) / license (verb). The -ce ending marks the noun; the -se ending marks the verb. In American English, practice and license are used as both noun and verb.

Q: What is the past tense of advise?

Advise is a regular verb: advise → advised → advised. A common error is writing "adviced" — the correct past tense is "advised." The noun advice has no verb forms.

Q: Is “advisory” a noun or adjective?

Advisory is primarily an adjective meaning "giving advice": an advisory role, an advisory committee. It can also function as a noun in American English for an official warning: a travel advisory, a weather advisory.

Q: How do I use “advise against”?

Advise against means to recommend not doing something, followed by a noun or gerund: The doctor advised against surgery. She advised against travelling alone. Do not confuse it with the noun advice, which cannot take "against" in the same pattern.

Q: In American English, is the spelling the same?

For advice and advise, yes — the noun/verb distinction is the same in both British and American English. The difference only affects other pairs: American English uses practice for both noun and verb, whereas British English uses practise for the verb. Similarly, American English uses license for both forms.

Learn the difference between advice (noun) and advise (verb) in English. Clear rules, pronunciation tips, and examples.

Quick Answer

Advice (noun, ends in -ce): I need some advice. | Advise (verb, ends in -se): I advise you to rest. The pronunciation differs too: advice rhymes with “ice”; advise rhymes with “eyes”.

Advice

Part of speech: Noun (uncountable)

A recommendation or guidance about what someone should do. Because it is uncountable, you cannot say “an advice” or “two advices” — use some advice or a piece of advice.

Example: She gave me some useful advice about my CV.

Advise

Part of speech: Verb

To recommend or give guidance to someone. It can be followed by a person + to-infinitive, a that-clause, or against + gerund.

Example: The doctor advised him to rest for a week.

The Key Difference

Advice and advise share the same root but belong to different word classes. Advice is a noun — a thing you can seek, give, take, or follow. Advise is a verb — an action someone performs. In a sentence, the noun will typically appear after a determiner (some advice, good advice, the advice), while the verb will appear after a subject (I advise, she advised, they will advise).

The spelling difference is a reliable guide: in British English, -ce marks the noun and -se marks the verb. This same pattern appears in several other pairs: practice (noun) / practise (verb); device (noun) / devise (verb); licence (noun) / license (verb). Once you learn the pattern for advice/advise, the others become easy.

Pronunciation also helps. Advice ends in the unvoiced sound /s/, rhyming with “ice.” Advise ends in the voiced sound /z/, rhyming with “eyes.” If you hear the word said aloud, you can tell immediately whether the speaker means the noun or the verb.

The -ce / -se Pattern

Noun (-ce)	Verb (-se)
advice	advise
practice	practise
device	devise
licence	license
prophecy	prophesy

Memory Trick

💡 Tip: Think of the C in advice as standing for Counsel — both are nouns. Think of the S in advise as standing for Suggest — both are verbs. Alternatively: “I can take advice” (noun, uncountable thing you take) vs “I will advise you” (verb, action you do).

Examples in Context

Pair 1

My teacher gave me excellent advice about choosing a university course.

My teacher advised me to choose a university course carefully.

Pair 2

The solicitor’s advice was to sign the contract without delay.

The solicitor advised us to sign the contract without delay.

Pair 3

If you need advice on healthy eating, speak to a dietician.

A dietician can advise you on healthy eating habits.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1 — Using “an advice”

Can you give me an advice?

Can you give me some advice? (Advice is uncountable — never use “an advice”)

Mistake 2 — Spelling the verb with -ce

I advice you to be careful on icy roads.

I advise you to be careful on icy roads. (verb requires -se)

Mistake 3 — Writing “adviced” as the past tense

She adviced him to take a break.

She advised him to take a break. (regular verb: advise → advised)

Useful Collocations

Common phrases with advice (noun):

give advice — she gave me sound advice
take / follow advice — I followed her advice
ask for advice — he asked for financial advice
seek advice — you should seek legal advice
a piece of advice — one useful piece of advice
on someone’s advice — on her doctor’s advice

Common phrases with advise (verb):

advise against — the vet advised against surgery
advise on — she advises on corporate tax
advise somebody to do something — I advise you to leave early
be advised to — passengers are advised to arrive two hours early
well-advised — you would be well-advised to read the small print

Quick Quiz

Test yourself: True or False and Complete the Sentence exercises will help you practise choosing the correct form.

Related Pairs

The same -ce/-se rule applies to Practice vs Practise. For other commonly confused words, browse all confusing word pairs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between advice and advise?

Advice (ending in -ce) is a noun meaning a recommendation or guidance: I need your advice. Her advice was sound. Advise (ending in -se) is a verb meaning to recommend or give guidance: I advise you to leave early. She advised against it. A simple test: if you need a noun after an article or adjective (some advice, good advice), use advice. If you need a verb after a subject (I advise, she advised), use advise.

Can I say “an advice”?

No. Advice is an uncountable noun in English, which means it has no plural and cannot follow the indefinite article “a” or “an.” You cannot say “an advice” or “two advices.” Instead, use: some advice, a piece of advice, a word of advice, a lot of advice. If you want to refer to one specific recommendation, say “a piece of advice” or “a helpful piece of advice.”

How do I pronounce advice and advise differently?

The endings are pronounced differently. Advice ends in the unvoiced sound /s/, as in “nice” or “rice” — it rhymes with “ice.” Advise ends in the voiced sound /z/, as in “rise” or “eyes” — it rhymes with “eyes.” This pronunciation difference mirrors the noun/verb distinction and makes it easier to identify which form you are hearing.

Does the same -ce/-se rule apply to other words?

Yes. In British English, several word pairs follow this pattern: practice (noun) / practise (verb); device (noun) / devise (verb); licence (noun) / license (verb); prophecy (noun) / prophesy (verb). The -ce ending marks the noun; the -se ending marks the verb. In American English, practice and license are used as both noun and verb, so the spelling distinction does not apply to those pairs.

What verb patterns follow “advise”?

Advise can be used in several patterns: advise + person + to-infinitive (I advise you to rest); advise + that-clause (she advised that we should leave early); advise + against + -ing (the doctor advised against exercising); advise + on (she advises on tax matters); passive: be advised to (passengers are advised to check in early). The most common patterns are advise someone to do something and advise against doing something.

What is the past tense of advise?

Advise is a regular verb: advise → advised → advised. Examples: She advised me to take a break. They had advised against the merger. A common error is writing “adviced” — the correct past tense is “advised.” The noun form (advice) stays the same in all contexts and has no verb forms.

Is “advisory” a noun or adjective?

Advisory is primarily an adjective meaning “giving advice” or “relating to advice”: an advisory role, an advisory committee, advisory services. It can also function as a noun, especially in American English, meaning an official warning or recommendation: a travel advisory, a weather advisory. The root word is advise (verb), and advisory is built on the same stem.

How do I use “advise against”?

Advise against means to recommend not doing something. It is followed by a noun or gerund (-ing form): The doctor advised against surgery. She advised against travelling alone. I advise against making hasty decisions. This is a useful phrase for giving negative recommendations in a formal or professional context. Do not confuse it with the noun advice — you cannot say “advice against travelling” in the same pattern.

What does “well-advised” mean?

Well-advised is a compound adjective meaning “showing good judgement” or “sensible.” It is typically used in the structure: you would be well-advised to + infinitive, meaning it would be wise or prudent for you to do something. Example: You would be well-advised to read the contract carefully before signing. The opposite is “ill-advised,” meaning unwise or not recommended.

In American English, is the spelling the same?

For advice and advise, yes — the distinction between noun (advice) and verb (advise) is the same in both British and American English. The difference only affects some other pairs: in American English, practice is used for both the noun (daily practice) and the verb (to practice every day), whereas British English uses practise for the verb. Similarly, American English uses license for both noun and verb, while British English uses licence for the noun.

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