These words are often confused. Those forms that end in ce or cy are nouns. The other forms that end in se or sy are verbs. That means ‘advice’ is a noun, whereas ‘advise’ is a verb. In the same way, prophecy is a noun, whereas prophesy is a verb.
Examples
- He gave me some advice. (Advice – noun)
- I hate people who advise me. (advise – verb)
- I practise the piano every day. (practise – verb)
- You just need some practice. (practice – noun)
- Some of her prophecies have come true.
- The Mayans prophesied that the world would end in 2012.
Hoard and horde
These words are often confused. Both hoard and horde rhyme with board and ford.
Hoard is a verb. To hoard something is to store it away for future use. This is not exactly an honest practice. For example, merchants often hoard grains like rice and wheat when there is a shortage. By secretly storing grains away, they can further reduce their availability in the market. This will increase their prices. And when prices rise, the same merchants will sell these grains at a huge profit. Hoarding food grains is a punishable offence in many countries.
Horde is a noun. It is used to refer to a large gathering of people.
- Hordes of fans came to the stadium to cheer their team.