Word Confusion: Advice versus Advise

Posted December 11, 2012 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of
16 June 2023

For some unexplainable reason, this one has never been a problem for me, but I can definitely see how it could be a problem for others.

Keep in mind that advice is a noun, a person, concept, thing that a verb acts on.

Advise is a verb, it goes into action, so consider using that s in advise. It could help you say something. I advise you to . . .

If anyone can think up a good reminder for that c in advice which reflects its definition, give me a call! Or, hey, advise me, ’cause I could sure use your advice!

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Advice	Advise
Be Gentle to Your Mother, a scan by the New York Public Library, is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — It is advice.	Shahzada Jama Nazir and PMDC Advise is Shahzada Jamal Nazir’s own work under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. — They advise these PMDC officials to take stringent action against bogus medical and dental school registrations.
Part of Grammar:
Noun Plural (when countable): advices	Reporting Verb; Verb, intransitive & transitive Third person present verb: advises Past tense or past participle: advised Present participle: advising
Guidance or recommendation concerning prudent future action, usually given by someone regarded as knowledgable or authoritative A formal notice of a financial transaction [Archaic] Information News A communication, especially from a distance, containing information An official notification, especially one pertaining to a business agreement Recommendation as to appropriate choice of action Counsel [When countable] A formal notification of facts via email or as a letter (something that can be counted)	Verb, intransitive: Offer suggestions about the best course of action for someone to take To take counsel [Mainly U.S. or obsolete; usually followed by with] Consult Verb, transitive: Offer suggestions about the best course of action for someone to take Recommend something Inform someone about a fact or situation, typically in a formal or official way [Formal; sometimes followed by of] To inform or notify To offer advice (to a person or persons)
Examples:
She invested her savings on her brother’s advice. Any author should get advice from a copyeditor or proofreader. grin The company got their remittance advices. There were fresh email advices from the Italian branch. We received remittance advice in this morning’s mail. He took my advice and put his house up for sale. It was an overdue advice.	Verb, intransitive: We advise against sending cash by mail. I shall act as you advise. I shall advise with my friends. Verb, transitive: I advised him to go home. He advised caution. “Go to Paris,” he advised. Sleeping pills are not advised. You will be advised of the requirements. The lawyer advised the court that his client wished to give evidence. The bartender advised him to go home. The editor advised him to perform a spellcheck. He advised the king to stand firm.
Derivatives:
Noun: advisership, preadvice	Noun: advising, advisor Verb, transitive: preadvise, preadvised, preadvising, readvise, readvised, readvising
History of the Word:
Middle English from the Old French avis, based on the Latin ad (to) + visum (past participle of videre meaning to see). The original sense was way of looking at something, judgment, hence later an opinion given.	Middle English from the Old French aviser, based on the Latin ad- (to) + visere, frequentative of videre (to see). The original senses included look at and consider, hence consider jointly, consult with others.

Advice

Advise

Be Gentle to Your Mother, a scan by the New York Public Library, is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

—

It is advice.

Shahzada Jama Nazir and PMDC Advise is Shahzada Jamal Nazir’s own work under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.

—

They advise these PMDC officials to take stringent action against bogus medical and dental school registrations.

Part of Grammar:

Noun

Plural (when countable): advices

Reporting Verb; Verb, intransitive & transitive

Third person present verb: advises
Past tense or past participle: advised
Present participle: advising

Guidance or recommendation concerning prudent future action, usually given by someone regarded as knowledgable or authoritative

A formal notice of a financial transaction
[Archaic] Information
News

A communication, especially from a distance, containing information

An official notification, especially one pertaining to a business agreement

Recommendation as to appropriate choice of action

Counsel

[When countable] A formal notification of facts via email or as a letter (something that can be counted)

Verb, intransitive:
Offer suggestions about the best course of action for someone to take

To take counsel

[Mainly U.S. or obsolete; usually followed by with] Consult

Verb, transitive:
Offer suggestions about the best course of action for someone to take

Recommend something
Inform someone about a fact or situation, typically in a formal or official way
- [Formal; sometimes followed by of] To inform or notify

To offer advice (to a person or persons)

Examples:

She invested her savings on her brother’s advice.

Any author should get advice from a copyeditor or proofreader. *grin*

The company got their remittance advices.

There were fresh email advices from the Italian branch.

We received remittance advice in this morning’s mail.

He took my advice and put his house up for sale.

It was an overdue advice.

Verb, intransitive:
We advise against sending cash by mail.

I shall act as you advise.

I shall advise with my friends.

Verb, transitive:
I advised him to go home.

He advised caution.

“Go to Paris,” he advised.

Sleeping pills are not advised.

You will be advised of the requirements.

The lawyer advised the court that his client wished to give evidence.

The bartender advised him to go home.

The editor advised him to perform a spellcheck.

He advised the king to stand firm.

Derivatives:

Noun: advisership, preadvice

Noun: advising, advisor
Verb, transitive: preadvise, preadvised, preadvising, readvise, readvised, readvising

History of the Word:

Middle English from the Old French avis, based on the Latin ad (to) + visum (past participle of videre meaning to see).

The original sense was way of looking at something, judgment, hence later an opinion given.

Middle English from the Old French aviser, based on the Latin ad- (to) + visere, frequentative of videre (to see).

The original senses included look at and consider, hence consider jointly, consult with others.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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