Preferred Spelling By Region and Role
Both practice and practise sound the same, but their spelling depends on regional English and sometimes on grammar role. If you’re writing for a US audience, life is simple: practice covers everything.
Table of Contents
Which Spelling Is Standard In US and UK English
In American English, the standard written form is practice for both the noun and the verb. Major US dictionary entries also record practise as a less common variant, but it isn’t the usual choice in modern US writing✅Source.
In UK English, publishing and institutional style often keeps a clean split: practice for the noun, and practise for the verb. This is a spelling convention, not a meaning change, which is why it keeps confusing people.
| Region / Convention | Noun (a thing/idea) | Verb (an action) | Typical Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| US English | practice | practice | Daily practice helps you practice faster. |
| UK English | practice | practise | I have football practice, then I’ll practise penalties. |
Why Two Spellings Exist
This double spelling didn’t appear because the words mean different things. It’s more about standardisation and how editors tried to create tidy noun/verb pairs. One Oxford University style presentation even lays it out directly as “Noun: practice” and “Verb: practise”, alongside the similar UK pair licence (noun) and license (verb)✅Source.
That’s the core idea: the spelling choice is often a signal for grammar. Not every English variety enforces it the same way, but the split remains a common reference point in UK-style writing.
Noun vs Verb: The Real Split
A quick way to understand the convention is to focus on what the word is doing in the sentence. If it’s naming an activity or field, it behaves like a noun. If it describes the act of training, doing, or performing, it behaves like a verb.
- Noun Use UK: practice US: practice
- practice names a session, a habit, or a professional field.
- Verb Use UK: practise US: practice
- practise (UK) / practice (US) describes doing repeatedly to improve or to carry out a profession.
Where The Noun Shows Up Most
- sports practice (a scheduled session) and music practice
- professional practice like medical practice or legal practice
- common practice and standard practice (a usual way of doing things)
Where The Verb Shows Up Most
- practise a skill (UK) / practice a skill (US) (repeat to improve)
- practise/practice a profession: medicine, law, architecture
- practise/practice a habit: patience, good manners
Inflected Forms and Derivatives
The spelling choice doesn’t stop at the base form. UK-style writing carries the -s through the verb family, while US writing keeps everything under practice. Collins lists practises, practising, and practised, and also notes that in American English you use practice instead✅Source.
US Convention
- practice (noun)
- practice (verb)
- practices, practicing, practiced
UK Convention
- practice (noun)
- practise (verb)
- practices (noun plural), practising, practised
Common Collocations That Stay “Practice”
Some phrases strongly pull toward the noun, so they normally appear as practice even in UK texts. Collins treats practice as a noun meaning repeated training and also as “a practice” meaning a regular way of doing something✅Source.
- in practice (as opposed to theory)
- practice makes perfect (a fixed saying)
- common practice and standard practice
- private practice (a professional business)
- practice test / practice room (noun used as a modifier)
Side-by-Side Examples
These examples use the same meaning, but follow different regional conventions. Notice how the UK version swaps only the verb spelling, while the US version keeps practice everywhere.
US-Style Sentences
- I have guitar practice after school.
- I practice the same song every day.
- She practices yoga on weekends.
- He practiced his presentation twice.
UK-Style Sentences
- I have guitar practice after school.
- I practise the same song every day.
- She practises yoga at weekends.
- He practised his presentation twice.
Common Confusions
The most common slip is mixing the UK noun/verb split inside a single sentence. If you’re in UK convention, practice stays the noun, while practise stays the verb. If you’re in US convention, practice is the standard choice for both.
Patterns That Match Each Convention
FAQ
Answers To Common Questions
Is “practise” ever correct in US English?
In modern US English, the standard spelling is practice. You may still see practise in quoted UK material or older texts, but it’s not the usual US form.
Is “practice” wrong as a verb in UK English?
In UK English, many style guides prefer practise as the verb. Writing practice as a verb can look US-leaning, even though readers will still understand it.
Do “practice” and “practise” mean different things?
Usually, no. The meaning is the same: training, repetition, or carrying out an activity. The difference is mainly spelling convention tied to region and sometimes part of speech.
What about “practicing/practising” and “practiced/practised”?
They follow the same system. US writing tends to use practicing and practiced. UK writing often uses practising and practised when the base verb is practise.
In phrases like “in practice,” which spelling is used?
That phrase uses a noun, so it’s in practice in UK writing and in practice in US writing. In other words: it stays practice either way.
Can “practise” be a noun?
In standard modern usage, practise is treated as a verb form in UK-style writing. The noun form is practice.