- Advice is a noun; advise is a verb.
- Say “some advice” or “a piece of advice”, never “an advice”.
- Pronunciation: advice = “iss”; advise = “ize”.
Advice vs advise: the difference at a glance
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| advice | noun (uncountable) | a suggestion or recommendation | My tutor’s advice was to cut the introduction. |
| advise | verb | to recommend or give advice | I advise students to start with an outline. |
| adviser / advisor | noun (person) | someone who advises | Ask your academic adviser before changing modules. |
How to use advice
Advice is uncountable in standard English. Say some advice, a piece of advice or two pieces of advice — not “an advice” or “advices”.
- That is excellent advice.
- Can I ask for your advice on my thesis?
- She ignored the committee’s advice.
- A piece of advice: cite as you go.
How to use advise
Advise is a verb, so it changes with tense and person: advise, advises, advised, advising.
- I advise you to check the word limit.
- The handbook advises students to keep drafts.
- We were advised to use APA 7.
- Who is advising your dissertation?
Common pattern: advise someone to do something. You can also advise against something: “Tutors advise against last-minute paraphrasing tools that rewrite whole paragraphs.”
How to remember the difference
Advice has a soft c sound like “ice”. Advise has a z sound like “rise”. Another trick: nouns often use c (advice, practice in British English as a noun); verbs often use s (advise, practise).
Tricky cases and exceptions
“Advise” with that-clauses. “She advised that we revise” is formal; “She advised us to revise” is more common.
Legal and formal phrasing. “Please be advised that…” means “please note that…”, not that you are receiving a tip.
Advice as a mass noun. In some varieties you may hear countable uses; in academic English keep it uncountable.
Advice vs advise in academic writing
Essays and emails to tutors use both words. Prefer precise verbs when you can: recommend, suggest, warn. When you report a tutor’s guidance, “My supervisor advised me to narrow the research question” is clearer than “I got advice.”
Practice quiz
Choose the correct option, then open each answer to check your reasoning.
1. She gave me useful ___. (advice / advise)
advice: a noun after “useful”.
2. I ___ you to proofread aloud. (advice / advise)
advise: a verb.
3. Two pieces of ___ saved the draft. (advice / advise)
advice: uncountable noun with “pieces of”.
4. Who ___ the first-year students? (advices / advises)
advises: third-person verb.
5. We were ___ not to cite Wikipedia. (advised / adviced)
advised: past participle of advise.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Is it “an advice” or “a piece of advice”?
A piece of advice (or some advice). Advice is uncountable.
Is advise a noun?
No. Advise is the verb; advice is the noun.
How do you pronounce advice and advise?
Advice ends with an “iss” sound; advise ends with a “ize” sound.
Is it adviser or advisor?
Both are used. American English often prefers advisor; British English often prefers adviser. See our separate guide.
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