Advice vs. Advise: If you Think They're the Same, You're Wrong

Main Advise vs. Advice Takeaways:

• Advice and advise sound similar, but they’re not the same.
• Advice is a noun, while advise is a verb.
• You can give advice to someone, or you can advise someone.
• Please advise or kindly advise are requests for information. Some people don’t mind these phrases, while others consider them abrupt or passive aggressive.
• Please be advised is a phrase used to share information with a formal tone.

Advise vs. advice cause trouble mostly because they have almost identical spellings. However, they are very different parts of speech. Do you advice someone, or do you advise them? Do you receive advise or advice? By the end of this helpful comparison guide, you’ll understand exactly when to use each word.

What’s the Difference Between Advice and Advise?

Both advice and advise have to do with giving information (or offering an opinion). But, they are different parts of speech with different meanings. First, advise (with an ‘s‘) is a verb. Its correct pronunciation rhymes with the word “eyes,” and it means to recommend something be done, to suggest what should or could be done, or to share information. Next, advice (with a ‘c‘) is a noun that refers to the suggestion or a recommendation itself. Its correct pronunciation rhymes with the word “ice.”

Can you Advice or can you Advise?

You can advise (with an ‘s‘) because advise is a verb. You can’t advice (with a ‘c‘) because this word is a noun. In other words, advice is a noun — it’s a thing. Advise is a transitive or an intransitive verb — it’s a “doing word.” You can’t chair someone, but you can give them a chair. Similarly, you can’t advice someone, but you can give them advice.

Advice vs. Advise Pronunciation Guide

These two words look alike, but they sound different when spoken aloud.

👀 On one hand, the ‘s‘ in advise is almost pronounced like a ‘z‘ (add-VYZ). If it rhymes with the word “eyes,” you know you’re pronouncing advise correctly.

🧊 On the other hand, the ‘c‘ in advice is pronounced like an ‘s‘ (add-VICE). If it rhymes with the word “ice,” you know you’re pronouncing advice correctly.

How do you use Advice and Advise in a Sentence?

Here are the best examples of how to use advice and advise in a sentence:

Is Please Advise Rude?

The phrase “please advise” is a succinct request for information or guidance, and isn’t necessarily rude. However, it depends on the context as well as the speaker’s tone, intention, and style. For instance, some may take it as too short, blunt, demanding, or even passive aggressive. Moreover, some consider it redundant and would prefer a direct question. On the other hand, it can also stand in for “let me know” (Should you have any questions, please advise).

Let’s look at a few examples of “please advise” in action:

In the first instance, “please advise” comes across as benign and a little dry, but not rude. In the second instance, the reader knows they’re in trouble. Tone can be hard to read via email, so if you’re in doubt, use a different phrase.

What is Another Name for Advice?

Here are other names and synonyms for the noun advice:

• Guidance
• A recommendation/some recommendations
• Input
• An opinion/your opinion
• Some help
• A suggestion/some suggestions
• A tip/some tips
• A word of wisdom
• Some pearls of wisdom

Advise vs. Advice Recap

Is it advice or advise? Advise and advice are two words that frequently cause authors confusion. Notwithstanding, advise and advice play slightly different roles: they’re similar — but they’re not the same. For instance, you can advise someone, or you can give them advice.

Feeling clearer about advise vs. advice? Test your grammar knowledge with our quick quiz below.

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