Advice and Advise

Educated, literate writers still confuse advice and advise. The former is a noun; the latter, a verb. When you advise, you dispense advice. How much more simple can it be? We don't even need to explore the meanings of the words.

The error is usually substituting advise for advice. To wit: "In writing your blogs, you should follow the advise Georganna gives." While I appreciate the referral or attribution, the word advise is incorrectly used.

I think I've figured out how this mistake occurs.  When we write, we "hear" the words in our minds.  In a rush to express ourselves, the mind hears the hiss in advice and thinks "s" and the flying fingers type that letter.  That's also why we seldom find the reverse error.  When our minds say advise, we hear the "z" sound, difficult to produce (in English) with any other letter than the "s." We know there is no advize.  That's just looks wrong! Well, maybe not to those who are learning English as a second language (ESLs). Trust me.

Don't confuse giving advice with advising.  See, to use the noun, you must add a verb.  I advise with good advice. 

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