Although these two words sound exactly the same and have very similar spellings, the tiny one letter difference indicates whether you mean the word as a verb or a noun. Although the context of the sentence is usually sufficient to decipher the meaning, continually misspelling either of these words in academic writing doesn’t give a good impression to the reader. It’s simple enough to learn the difference and never mix them up again!
Practise
The version of the word which is spelled with an ‘s’ is the verb. It usually means to regularly repeat an activity in order to get better at it. It is used when talking about skills like speaking a foreign language, playing a sport or drawing. ‘Practise’ would therefore appear in a sentence such as :
‘I practise playing the piano for an hour per day’.
It is also used when discussing someone’s religion or profession, for example:
‘He practises Catholicism’ or ‘She practises law’.
Practice
The version of the word which is spelled with a ‘c’ is the noun. If a doctor practises [verb] medicine, she or he is engaged in medical practice [noun].
The word ‘practice’ can also be used to mean the physical place or building where a doctor or lawyer practises. A medical practice is a place you would go for a doctor’s appointment.
It can be used a more general sense, as in the phrase ‘she put her training into practice’ or ‘practice makes perfect’.
Remember the basic rule: ‘practise’ with an ‘s’ is a verb and ‘practice’ with a ‘c’ is a noun.
Practise
The version of the word which is spelled with an ‘s’ is the verb. It usually means to regularly repeat an activity in order to get better at it. It is used when talking about skills like speaking a foreign language, playing a sport or drawing. ‘Practise’ would therefore appear in a sentence such as :
‘I practise playing the piano for an hour per day’.
It is also used when discussing someone’s religion or profession, for example:
‘He practises Catholicism’ or ‘She practises law’.
Practice
The version of the word which is spelled with a ‘c’ is the noun. If a doctor practises [verb] medicine, she or he is engaged in medical practice [noun].
The word ‘practice’ can also be used to mean the physical place or building where a doctor or lawyer practises. A medical practice is a place you would go for a doctor’s appointment.
It can be used a more general sense, as in the phrase ‘she put her training into practice’ or ‘practice makes perfect’.
Remember the basic rule: ‘practise’ with an ‘s’ is a verb and ‘practice’ with a ‘c’ is a noun.