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Monday 28 March 2011

new language tip: ADVISE/ ADVICE...LICENSE/ LICENCE...and James Bond.

Today's tip is in answer to an email from Michel:
in British English, licence is a noun and license is a verb. (In American English, the noun is spelt like the verb.)
The 'licence/license' rule also applies to 'advice' (noun) and 'advise' (verb). This is true and in this case it applies to American English as well. Helpfully though, 'advice' and 'advise' are not homophones (words with different spellings that sound the same, like licence/license and there/their).

PRONUNCIATION:
 advice = /ədˈvaɪs/    and      advise = /ədˈvaɪz/
 advice -- ice                         advise -- prize

                                 
"Let me give you some advice, stay clear of Mr. Bond - he has a licence to kill." (nouns)
"I'd advise you to stay clear of Mr. Bond; his employers license killing." (verbs)

With thanks to Vincent Skowronski for the James Bond examples.

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