Have you ever written an email and wondered if to say “please advise” or “please advice”? These expressions look almost identical, but only one is correct when you are asking someone for guidance. The confusion happens because advise and advice have similar spellings and meanings. However, they play different roles in a sentence.
The correct phrase is “please advise” when you want someone to give you information, guidance, or a recommendation. The word advise is a verb, which means to give advice or suggest what someone should do. In contrast, advice is a noun that refers to the guidance itself. You can ask someone for advice, but you should ask them to advise you. Understanding this simple difference will help you write clearer emails, messages, school assignments, and professional documents.
Quick Answer: Please Advise or Please Advice?
“Please advise” is correct when asking someone to provide guidance or information. Advise is a verb, while advice is a noun. For example, write “Please advise me on the next steps.” If you want to use the noun, write “Please give me your advice.” The correct choice depends on how the word functions in the sentence.
Why Do People Confuse Please Advise and Please Advice?
People often confuse these expressions because advise and advice have nearly the same spelling and a closely related meaning. Both words relate to giving or receiving guidance.
Their pronunciation is also slightly different. In standard English, advise ends with a /z/ sound, while advice ends with an /s/ sound.
Another reason for the confusion is that people may know what they want to say but forget which word is a verb and which is a noun.
Remember these two simple rules:
- Advise = the action of giving guidance.
- Advice = the guidance or suggestion itself.
1. What Does Advise Mean?
Advise is a verb. It means to tell someone what you think they should do or to provide useful information about a situation.
You use advise when someone is giving guidance or when you ask someone to give it.
Examples of Advise
- My teacher advised me to study every day.
- Please advise me on how to complete this form.
- The doctor advised him to get more rest.
- Could you advise us about the best option?
- I advise you to read the instructions carefully.
In these examples, advise or advised describes the action of providing guidance.
How to Use Advise in a Sentence
You can use advise in several common sentence patterns:
- Advise someone to do something: She advised me to wait.
- Advise someone on something: He advised us on the matter.
- Please advise: Please advise on the next step.
- Be advised: Please be advised that the office will close early.
In formal writing, “Please advise” is a common way to ask someone for guidance, an update, or a decision.
2. What Does Advice Mean?
Advice is a noun. It means a suggestion, recommendation, or helpful information about what someone should do.
You receive advice, give advice, ask for advice, or follow advice.
Examples of Advice
- My teacher gave me useful advice.
- I need your advice about my studies.
- Her advice helped me make a decision.
- Thank you for your advice.
- His advice was easy to understand.
In these sentences, advice names the guidance being given or received.
How to Use Advice in a Sentence
Here are some common patterns:
- Give advice: My father gave me good advice.
- Ask for advice: She asked for advice about her career.
- Follow advice: He followed his doctor’s advice.
- A piece of advice: Let me give you a piece of advice.
- Some advice: Could you give me some advice?
Remember that advice is generally an uncountable noun in standard English. Avoid saying “an advice” or “many advices.” Instead, use “a piece of advice” or “some advice.”
Please Advise vs. Please Advice: Comparison Table
| Feature | Please Advise | Please Advice |
|---|---|---|
| Correctness | Correct | Incorrect in the intended request |
| Word used | Advise | Advice |
| Part of speech | Verb | Noun |
| Meaning | Asking someone to provide guidance | Uses a noun where a verb is needed |
| Example | Please advise me on this issue. | Please advice me on this issue. |
| Better alternative | Please advise me. | Please give me advice. |
The main difference is grammatical: advise describes an action, while advice names the guidance.
When Should You Use Each Word?
When to Use Please Advise
Use “please advise” when you want someone to explain something, recommend an action, or tell you what to do next.
Examples:
- Please advise me on the next steps.
- Please advise whether the meeting is still scheduled.
- Please advise us of any changes.
- Please advise how we should proceed.
This expression is especially common in workplace emails, business communication, and formal requests. Depending on the context, it may sound direct or formal.
For a friend or colleague, you might use a more conversational alternative, such as “Could you let me know what you think?”
When to Use Advice
Use advice when you are talking about guidance itself or asking someone to provide it.
Examples:
- Could you give me some advice?
- I would appreciate your advice.
- Thank you for your helpful advice.
- I need advice about choosing a course.
If you want to make a polite request without using the phrase “please advise,” you can write, “Please give me your advice on this matter.”
12 Examples of Please Advise and Advice
The following examples show how to use both words correctly in everyday communication.
- Correct: Please advise me on the best way to solve this problem.
Why: Advise describes the action of giving guidance. - Correct: Please give me your advice about my career.
Why: Advice is the guidance being requested. - Incorrect: Please advice me about the meeting.
Correct: Please advise me about the meeting. - Correct: I need your advice before making a decision.
Why: The sentence refers to guidance. - Correct: The manager advised us to arrive early.
Why: Advised is the past tense of the verb advise. - Correct: Thank you for your advice.
Why: Advice is a noun. - Incorrect: Can you give me an advice?
Correct: Can you give me a piece of advice? - Correct: Please advise whether I need to submit another document.
Why: The speaker is requesting information. - Correct: Her advice helped me prepare for the interview.
Why: Advice refers to the guidance that helped her. - Correct: I would advise you to check your work.
Why: Advise expresses a recommendation. - Correct: Could you please offer some advice on this project?
Why: Advice follows the quantity word some. - Correct: Please advise us of any changes to the schedule.
Why: The sender asks someone to provide information about changes.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Writing “Please Advice”
Incorrect: Please advice me on this issue.
Correct: Please advise me on this issue.
Use advise because the sentence asks someone to perform an action.
2. Treating Advice as a Verb
Incorrect: She will advice me tomorrow.
Correct: She will advise me tomorrow.
The verb is advise. The noun is advice.
3. Saying “An Advice”
Incorrect: He gave me an advice.
Correct: He gave me some advice.
You can also say, “He gave me a piece of advice.”
4. Using “Advise” When You Mean Guidance
Incorrect: Thank you for your advise.
Correct: Thank you for your advice.
Here, you are thanking someone for the guidance they provided, so you need the noun advice.
5. Making Every Request Too Formal
“Please advise” is grammatically correct, but it can sound formal in casual conversations.
Instead of writing “Please advise me what to do,” you could write “What do you think I should do?” or “Could you give me some advice?”
Choose the expression that suits your audience and situation.
Memory Trick: How to Remember Advise vs. Advice
Use this simple trick to remember the difference:
- Advise = Verb: You advise someone.
- Advice = Noun: You give someone advice.
Think of the final sounds, too:
- Advise ends with a /z/ sound, like the final sound in realize.
- Advice ends with an /s/ sound, like the final sound in ice.
Try remembering this sentence:
“I advise you to take my advice.”
Both words appear in one sentence, making their different roles easy to remember.
American vs. British English
There is no major difference between American and British English when it comes to the correct use of advise and advice.
Both varieties use advise as a verb and advice as a noun.
| Expression | American English | British English |
|---|---|---|
| Please advise me. | Correct | Correct |
| Please give me advice. | Correct | Correct |
| She advised me. | Correct | Correct |
| Thank you for your advice. | Correct | Correct |
Spelling conventions do not change this grammatical distinction. Whether you are writing for an American or British audience, choose the word based on its role in the sentence.
Similar Words: Advice, Advise, and Adviser
Several related words can make this topic easier to understand.
- Advice: A noun meaning guidance or a recommendation. Example: “I need your advice.”
- Advise: A verb meaning to give guidance. Example: “Please advise me.”
- Adviser: A noun for a person who gives advice. Example: “She is my financial adviser.”
- Advisor: Another spelling of adviser, commonly used in American English and also found elsewhere.
- Advisable: An adjective meaning sensible or wise to do. Example: “It is advisable to check the details.”
These words are related, but they are not interchangeable. Use each one according to its grammatical role.
FAQs:
1. Is “Please advise” correct English?
Yes. “Please advise” is grammatically correct. It is a request for someone to provide guidance, information, or a recommendation. It is commonly used in business emails and formal communication.
2. Is “Please advice” ever correct?
Not when you mean to ask someone to provide guidance. In that situation, use “Please advise.” You can use advice in a sentence such as “Please give me some advice.”
3. What is the difference between advise and advice?
Advise is a verb meaning to give guidance or recommend an action. Advice is a noun meaning the guidance or recommendation itself. For example, “I advise you” and “I need your advice” are both correct.
4. Should I write “Please advise” in a professional email?
Yes. “Please advise” is acceptable in professional emails, particularly when requesting guidance or an update. For a warmer and more specific tone, write “Could you please advise me on the next steps?”
5. Is it correct to say “Please advise me”?
Yes. “Please advise me” is grammatically correct. It means you are asking someone to give you guidance or information. You can make the request more specific by adding a topic, such as “Please advise me on this matter.”
6. Can I say “a piece of advice”?
Yes. “A piece of advice” is a standard expression because advice is generally uncountable. You can also say “some advice” or “a little advice,” depending on the meaning.
7. How do you pronounce advise and advice?
In standard English, advise ends with a /z/ sound, while advice ends with an /s/ sound. The words have similar pronunciation otherwise, which is one reason people confuse them.
Remember This
- Please advise = Ask someone to provide guidance.
- Advice = Guidance or a recommendation.
- Advise = The action of giving guidance.
- A piece of advice = A correct way to refer to one recommendation.
- Please advice me = Incorrect for the intended meaning.
When in doubt, ask yourself whether you need a verb or a noun. If you are asking someone to do something, use advise. If you are talking about the guidance itself, use advice.
Conclusion
The difference between “please advise” and “please advice” is simple once you understand the roles of the two words. “Please advise” is correct when asking someone for guidance, information, or a recommendation because advise is a verb. Advice is a noun that refers to the guidance itself.
Use these words correctly in emails, messages, assignments, and everyday conversations to make your English clearer and more natural. Remember the sentence “I advise you to take my advice,” and you will have an easy way to distinguish the two words whenever you write.
