Practising how to spell practice

I've had this discussion with a few people .... I have always been under the impression that to spell practice like this is a noun and that practise is the verb. Some have disagreed with this understanding. I looked it up.

From the Oxford Dictionary site:

practice - noun
Do not confuse practice with practise. Practice is a noun meaning 'the action of doing something rather than the theories about it' (putting policy into practice), whereas practise is a verb meaning 'do something repeatedly to improve your skill' (they were practising for the Olympics). In American English, both the noun and the verb are spelled practice.

I've always said, as an example to help to remember, to make it match advice (noun) and advise (verb) .... same spelling, same part of speech, different pronunciation, but still a good guide as to which practice to use.

Well, I hadn't posted for a while and I was feeling teacher-ish.

Here endeth the lesson.

This weekend I am going to Birmingham. It's a clever little trick. I have a meeting there on Monday for which I get travelling expenses. So I am using the free journey to spend the weekend with Ruth and Matt before the meeting. It will be good to spend time with them. Very cool. They have been busy doing up their front room ... well, so far knocking it to bits I think. I'm looking forward to seeing the partial transformation.

Well, there, that was a boring post.

We had nice curry for tea too.

Louise finally has her broadband from TalkTalk .... it was only 3 months later than they promised. She wasn't impressed. Still nice that it has finally arrived.

Erm .... still no job. Another 3 applications in, but I'm no longer holding my breath.

I'll try to do better next time.

Comments

[AndyC]

Oh NO! I was doing it the American way.

I feel dirtier than normal.

I am not going to Birmingham. Instead, I'm off to Bristol to visit with friends at there.

This leaves our little house in the tender care of our 16 Alsatians and the McCrae brothers. (Jimmy "Hard Hands" and Kenny "The Doctor" McCrae)

Let's hope the latter doesn't try to practise on you.

Oh dear, losing grip now.

Time for bed.

Please someone give Liz a nice job.

Amen.

[Reuben Eric Penner]

Thanks, I will now practise the proper use and place of practice. :)

[Luciano Fuentes]

I just ran a quick Google search for correct usage of "practise" and I came to your site. Thanks for the clarification :-)

[Ian]

Hi. I just Googled the spelling too and up came your page. Funny thing is, I was reading "Sunday Philosophy Club" by Alexander McCall Smith (delightful author)from the library and some earlier reader had, quite correctly but annoyingly, altered noun 'practise' with a pen. I Googled to check the American variation (thanks) since later on in the book, chuckle, another sentence 'Now it's standard practise' had s crossed out and replaced by the much less certain 'c?'. McCall Smith's Isabel would have waxed lyrical over the conundrum the reader faced when coming across the second error about which they were apparently much less certain. Having corrected the first, they could hardly be seen to have missed the second! Life can offer humour in quite unexpected ways!

[Liz Curtis]

Luciano and Ian, thanks for your comments. I never imagined, when I put that post up just how many hits it would get! Life is strange, I did it as a joke (I am known as being a bit of a pedant when it comes to spelling and apostrophes), glad it's been useful. I'll look out for that book, Ian.

[Stephen Williams]

Actually wanted to say what a lovely blog web site you have. I was looking up practise as well! - lost confidence while sending an email, amazing that you end up near the top in google search.

Best of luck with the job hunting.

[Roz]

Hi Liz, this is the first time I have ever written a comment on someone's blog! After reading your post about the use of the noun practice and the verb practise I looked at a couple more posts of yours and enjoyed them. I saw the latest comment on the practice/se post was August last year.

I was sure I used them correctly but just wanted to show my daughter who is nearly 13. We are getting ready for the new school year which here in South Africa begins in January (on Wed the 12th for us). We were looking at some of her books from two years ago when she was in grade 5 and I saw that the teacher had changed "jousting practice" to "practise"! It was not her usual teacher who I think would have spelt it like we do but a substitute teacher. It irked me somewhat as I had read the piece of writing after Claire had written it two years ago and got her to make her "S" into a "c"! She had had to write a letter to her parents as though she was living in Medieval times whcih coincided with the theme they were doing in history. She had presented it so attractively on 'aged' paper with the burnt edges etc so the unnecessary "corrections" in green somewhat detracted from the final effect!

Interesting to read futher about English spellings in different countries especially as we have lived in Canada, the U.S., the UK and now South Africa where we are originally from though our 3 children are Canadian or American by birth.

Hope your weather has warmed up and you did indeed find a job.

[Patricia]

I always use it the English way but came across many who used it the American English way and so I googled and came to your site. Thanks for the clarification.

[Hans Schaetzke II]

I will practice using the term in precise pronunciation. When I say to someone I am busy practising my fugal horn I will say it like "pract-eyes". I am pract-eye-zing! Like I am already victimizing them for knowing such a pompous person... as I. But I will never let them know I got it from you Liz because that would be out of character for me.

[Liz Marshall]

I hope you educate your friends thoroughly! But Hans ..... it should be "I will practise" .... that's the verb! LOL