Word Choice Practice vs. Practise

Word Choice Practice vs. Practise Word Choice: Practice vs. Practise If you read British news sources or websites online, you may have noticed that sometimes they spell practice as practise. Why do they do this? Because British people like to complicate everything! Practise (Verb) In the UK, the spelling practise is used for the verb form of the word. As such, when describing the action of practicing something, in the UK they would write: I like to practise my fire-eating act for two hours a day. Of course, in the U.S., we would spell this as practice. Practice (Noun) Thankfully, in the UK, they do at least use the correct spelling for the noun form. As such, if a Brit were describing the concept of practice, this would be the correct spelling: Practice makes perfect! It is also correct when referring to a particular example of someone having practiced something: All that practice at lion taming is really paying off! Or when referring to the customary or established way of doing something: Medical practice demands exceptional attention to detail. Practice or Practise? Luckily, in the US, this isnt an issue, as the spelling practice is used for both the noun and verb forms, so we have it pretty easy! The only time you might need to use the British spelling is if you are writing for an audience outside the United States. Practise is used by most other versions of English, including Australian and Canadian English (although practice is sometimes used for the verb in Canada, too). Even if you dont need to use it yourself, however, its good to keep this spelling difference in mind so you dont get confused next time you come across it online!