Practice vs. Practise: What’s the Difference?

A few issues have concerned every learner of English at some point, and practice versus practice is one of them. In a writing scenario as general as completing an assignment or as specific as composing an email or an essay, this one distinction can lead you astray. Are the two terms two distinct words or is it the same word with different spelling? And more importantly, how can you know which one to apply? In this blog, let’s look at the difference between the two in English grammar, the origin of these words, and finally, examples of practice vs practice and practice vs practice that will guide you in the correct use of the two words. 

British vs. American English: Getting to the Heart of the Matter

To begin with, let us consider what causes all this confusion. The word “practice” and its twin “practice” are both correct, but the former is the American variant and the latter is the British one. American English does not complicate things by using only “practice” as both the noun and the verb. Nevertheless, British usage fully distinguishes between them, with “practice” being used as a noun and “practice” being used as a verb.

This change in English conforms with the fact that the English people use the ‘c’ in certain words, such as license-license or advice-advic,e and the same is true in licenses, where the ‘c’ in the middle is spelled as license. It is just one of those peculiarities of the English language, which is, in fact, rather useful as it makes it possible to use one word to mean completely different things.

Thus, if you are from the UK, you will write, ‘She went to football practice’, yet will also state, ‘She has football practice every day.’ In the US, both would be “practice,” regardless of the type of situation that is being referred to.

How to Use Practice and Practise Correctly

Part of speech matters a lot when wagering; thus, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the part of speech that one is using. When naming a thing, use ‘practice’ commonly if it can help to make your style clearer and easier to understand. However, when someone is doing something, it is ‘practice’ and it will be interesting to note that the British use ‘practice’ as a noun while Americans use it as a verb. If you are an American English user, don’t worry, both of these are correct and you can use this word in any case.

Let me make some distinctions of this even further. In British English:

When “Practice” is a Noun

The word “practice” is used to talk about a habit, routine, session, or working profession. It is the thing that is being carried out during the process of evaluating the performance of an enterprise.

For example:

This is because she has practiced on the piano in the evenings.

He is a man of business who has been into having his dental practice business in London.

Yoga is an innocent exercise that enhances the well-being of the human mind.

When “Practise” is a Verb

This means that it is a process of performing an activity to gain more skill in its performance. It’s an action word.

For example:

Violin is one of her regular morning routine exercises.

Doctors must practice medicine ethically.

He is rehearsing his speech for tomorrow’s speech which is to be delivered at the school.

In American English, there is no distinction drawn between the two, and both these sentences use the word “practice” as both the noun and the verb.

Why This Difference Matters in Writing

It is important to note that students are usually penalized with a low grade in academic work based on poor spelling or poor grammatical work, especially when trying to write for a UK-based institution. This ensures the reader, especially an American, appreciates that the writer knows how to practice and use the grammatical usage of the English language. It is favorable to use them in essays because this attention to detail makes the work look polished and professional. Also, in the particular cases of formalized testing or simply formalized professional language, incorrect usage may influence your credibility. It’s hard enough to send out a cover letter to a British employer and write something like this: ‘ I wish to practice law in the UK.’ One trivial mistake, if you are shooting for a very formal way of speaking British English, is to say it as “practice law.” When making these small mistakes, especially in places of competitive or academic work, the consequences are gravely felt.

Practice vs Practise Examples for Better Understanding

References are always important to reinforce knowledge, particularly on matters to do with grammar that may be considered trivial by most people. I will now provide several examples of practice vs practice you can come across in the student’s life or academic work. 

To be more precise, she spends the weekend attending the driving practice to take the test. (Noun, British and American: practice)

In different incidents, before the match, he also practiced his free throws for almost two hours. (Verb, British: practised; American: practiced)

The law practice was formed more than thirty years ago. (Noun, both regions: practice)

This means that they rehearse with lines before approaching the theatre performance. (Verb, British: practice; American: practice)

You can also see from this usage that understanding whether the word you are using is a noun or a verb will help lead you in the direction of the right form when you are aware of your regional spelling conventions.

Regional Grammar Differences in English: Why They Exist

As it has been noted, the differences between English grammar in countries such as the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia are a result of the evolution of the English language. It is often believed that there is a man named Noah Webster, who, being an American lexicographer, undertook the endeavour to “Americanize” English spelling in the United States. He aimed to establish an American language pattern that resulted in terms such as ‘colour’ instead of ‘color,’ ‘centre’ instead of ‘center,’ and of course, ‘practice’ for the noun as well as the verb.

British English retained more features which were prevalent in the earlier days, many of which originate from French and Latin origins. All these patterns, although rather discrete, are also relevant for written communication in different English-speaking countries.

FAQs

Conclusion

Regardless of whether you’re writing an exam, a school assignment, or a proposal for further research, knowledge of English practices such as practice vs practise is essential to create high-quality texts. Remember these rules and return to practice vs practise examples, then, decide which variant is better to use in your particular writing or speech within specific context of academic writing or a certain region.