What's the difference between "advice" and "advise"?

Imagine you're writing an email to a colleague. Should it be "Here's my advice" or "Here's my advise"? The two words mean nearly the same thing, but they do different jobs in a sentence.

Advice

"Advice" is a noun. It's what you give someone when you tell them what you think they should do.

• Her advice helped me feel ready for the big meeting.
• The doctor's advice was to rest and drink lots of water.
• Whenever I'm stuck, I ask my mentor for advice.

One thing to watch: "advice" is uncountable. You can't say "an advice" or "some advices." This trips up a lot of German speakers, because ein Ratschlag and Ratschläge work fine in German. In English, you'd say "a piece of advice," "some advice," or just "advice."

• He gave me a great piece of advice about job interviews.
• Can I give you some advice?

Advise

"Advise" is a verb. It means to tell someone what you think they should do.

• The lawyer advised her client to stay silent.
• My manager advised us to finish the report before the weekend.
• I'd advise you to save at least 10% of your income.

You'll usually see it with a person, then "to do something."

• She advised me to start preparing early.
• The airline advises passengers to arrive two hours before their flight.

"Advise" is also a bit formal. With friends, you're more likely to hear "I'd suggest" or "I'd recommend."

The easiest way to tell them apart is how they sound. "Advice" ends with an "s" sound (ad-VAIS), and "advise" ends with a "z" sound (ad-VAIZ). It's subtle, but once you hear it, you won't mix them up.

Next time you read an email or watch a show in English, listen for which one people use. It'll start to feel automatic faster than you think.

For more tips like this, check out our Daily Dose of Denglisch Docs for clear, bite-sized English lessons.