Difference between Practice and Practise | Practise vs Practice

What is the Difference between Practice and Practise?

Practice with a ‘c’ and practise with an ‘s’ form one of the most commonly confused pair of words in the English language. The difference between these two words lies in their usage and context. One of these is used as a verb while the other is used as a noun.

Table of Contents

• Table Summarising the Difference Between Practice and Practise
• The Meanings of Practise and Practice
• Examples for Practice and Practise
• Practise vs. Practice – Conclusion

Many concepts in grammar can be quite tricky to comprehend because of various rules that talk about an equally perplexing number of exceptions. Moreover, the English language has a vast vocabulary and this can overwhelm new learners. In this article, we shall explore the difference between practice and practise, their meanings, usage and relevant examples.

Table Summarising the Difference between Practice and Practise

The Meanings of Practice and Practise

As discussed above, the meanings of ‘practice’ with a ‘c’ and ‘practise’ with an ‘s’ are quite different. This is due to the fact that ‘practise’ is used as a verb while ‘practice’ is used as a noun in the British accent.

• ‘Practice’ is used as a noun and it denotes the following:
  1. The actual application, belief, methods, or use of an idea as opposed to theories.
  2. A habitual or customary ritual / procedure or a way of performing an activity.
  3. An exercise that is done repetitively or frequently to become proficient in a particular skill
• ‘Practise’ is used as a verb and it denotes the following:
  1. To perform an activity regularly in order to become proficient or improve a skill
  2. To do something regularly or habitually.

Important note: The above explanation is relevant to British English only. However, American English considers the word ‘practice’ to be a noun as well as a verb.

Examples for Practise and Practice

We shall explore some examples:

• Practice (noun):

1. Actual application, belief, methods, or use of an idea – The principles and practice of this tribe can be traced back to the Aztecs.
2. A habitual or customary ritual / procedure – Product placements are a common practice in the movie industry.
3. An exercise that is done repetitively or frequently to acquire proficiency in a particular skill – This move takes a lot of practice to execute flawlessly.

• Practise (verb):
  1. To perform an activity regularly in order to become proficient in it or improve a skill – I need to practise my Spanish.
  2. To do something regularly or habitually – They practise these archaic rituals even today.

Practice vs. Practise – Conclusion

Grammar is an important aspect of any language. It’s not just about sentence construction and spellings, but also expressing complex thoughts and ideas effectively. Moreover, English grammar is not as hard as people might think. It’s just a series of rules and regulations that organises the language in a logical and meaningful manner. By learning some of these rules, you can become proficient in English. In this article, we have explored the difference between Practice and Practise, their meanings, usage and relevant examples. Explore other important English ‘Difference Between’ articles, only at BYJU’S.