advise

/ədˈvaɪz/

//ədˈvaɪz// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"advise" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“advise” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,111 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#6,111
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To give advice to; to offer an opinion to, as worthy or expedient to be followed.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

advise vs avis
67% similar
advise vs arise
67% similar
advise vs anise
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for advise
PropertyValue
Headwordadvise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ədˈvaɪz/
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,111
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “advise” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). advise lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for advise is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ədˈvaɪz/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,111 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for advise, with forms such as "addvise", "adivse", and "advies". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "avis", "arise", "anise", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Latin ad Old French a Proto-Indo-European *weyd-der. Proto-Italic *widēō Latin videō Latin vīsus Old French vis Old French avis Old French aviserbor. Middle English avisen ▲ Proto-Italic *ad Proto-It… The correct English form is advise, spelled A-D-V-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To give advice to; to offer an opinion to, as worthy or expedient to be followed.
  2. 2
    To recommend; to offer as advice.
  3. 3
    To formally give information or notice to; to inform or counsel.
  4. 4
    To consider, to deliberate.
  5. 5
    To look at, watch; to see.
  6. 6
    To consult (with).
  7. 7
    To deliver judgment after a case has been reserved for further consideration.
  8. 8
    To provide information to a sovereign or head of state which they have previously asked for.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Latin ad Old French a Proto-Indo-European *weyd-der. Proto-Italic *widēō Latin videō Latin vīsus Old French vis Old French avis Old French aviserbor. Middle English avisen ▲ Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *weyd- Proto-Indo-European *-(h₁)seti Proto-Indo-European *wéydseti Proto-Italic *weidsō Latin visō Late Latin advisōder. English advise From Middle English avisen (“to perceive, consider, inform”), from Old French aviser, from avis, or from Late Latin advisō, from ad + visō. See also advice.

Synonyms

admonishadjureadviseadvocatecounselencourageurgeexhortpromptrecommendsuggesttipwarn

This word in other languages

aconsejar(Español)conseiller(Français)raten(Deutsch)aconselhar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: addvise,adivse,advies,advisse,advsie,advvise,avdise,davise

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of advise - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

addvise1adivse2advies2advisse1advsie2advvise1avdise2davise2
Edit distance from "advise"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "advise"?
"advise" is spelled A-D-V-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ədˈvaɪz/.
What does "advise" mean?
As a verb, "advise" means: To give advice to; to offer an opinion to, as worthy or expedient to be followed.
What words are commonly confused with "advise"?
"advise" is commonly confused with "avis", "arise", "anise". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "advise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "advise" is /ədˈvaɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "advise"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Latin ad Old French a Proto-Indo-European *weyd-der. Proto-Italic *widēō Latin videō Latin vīsus Old French vis Old French avis Old French aviserbor. Middle English avisen ▲ Proto-Italic *a... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “advise”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-D-V-I-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ədˈvaɪz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “avis” - see the side-by-side comparison. advise vs avis
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list