When to use Practice and Practise

Why is there a confusion?

                In many English speaking countries like the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, ‘practice’ commonly functions as the noun, while ‘practise’ is the action word. What is confusing is that in the US, the word ‘practise’ is not often used.  Whenever Americans use ‘practice’ in a sentence, they are pertaining to both the noun and the verb.

If we are following the American English, ‘practise’ can be neglected and we just have to focus on ‘practice’ if we want to use them both as a noun and a verb. However, not all readers are Americans so it is necessary to study the difference between these two words to avoid confusion. Also, some writers from the US are following traditional British spellings, so we have to learn how these two words operate in a sentence.

When to use ‘practice’ in a sentence

                ‘Practice’ is the noun which means ‘the practical use or application of a belief, method or idea.’ For example: “The book entitled ‘The Practice and Essentials of Teaching’ should be brought for tomorrow’s class discussion.” “You should prepare for the exams; use your books and past notes as practice.”

                ‘Practice’ also means a ‘repeated performance or exercise of a certain activity or skill in order to acquire proficiency.’ “Dedication and practice should be taken into consideration if you really want to become fluent in English.” “I am telling you that without sufficient practice, you would not make it to the finals.”

When to use ‘practise’ in a sentence

                ‘Practise’ is the verb which means ‘to perform or carry out an activity or skill regularly in order to improve one’s level of expertise and proficiency.’ Here are some examples: “I practise the piano every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.” “His father wants to become good at golf so he practices every weekend.” “The nurse has been practising his profession for more than 10 years.”

Important TIP to remember:

                If you are still having confusions about when and how to use ‘practice’ and ‘practise,’ take note of these reminders. First, ‘practice’ can be replaced by the word ‘preparation’ and/or ‘lessons.’ For instance, “You need practice to become a professional driver.” If we are going to replace it with “You need preparation to become a professional driver,” the sentence still makes sense.

                You can also do this for the word ‘practise,’ but since this is a verb, you need to replace it with something that means ‘to prepare.’ For instance, “You need to practise properly in order to win.” In this example, replacing it with “You need to prepare properly in order to win” is still readable and not awkward-sounding.