Advisor vs Adviser | Meaning, Difference & Examples

Commonly Confused Words updated on  November 13, 2023 1 min read
Advisor and adviser are two accepted spelling variants of the same noun. They have the same meaning (someone who gives advice about a subject) and are pronounced the same.

  • Adviser is the older and more frequently used spelling, but it may be considered less formal in some contexts.
  • Advisor is used less frequently than “adviser.” It generally indicates an official (job) position and is more commonly used in US English than UK English.

Examples: Advisor vs adviser
My financial advisor helped me create an investment plan for my retirement.
The academic advisor helped the students select their courses.
The legal adviser reviewed the contract carefully.
She sought the counsel of an adviser before making a major career decision.

The QuillBot Grammar Checker will fix your spelling and grammar mistakes automatically.

Advisor vs adviser in AP Style

If you’re following the AP Stylebook, you should use adviser. It’s the only correct spelling according to their guidelines. However, other language authorities, such as Merriam-Webster, accept both spellings. It’s important to use one spelling consistently in your writing.

Do you want to know more about common mistakes, commonly confused words, or other language topics? Check out some of our other language articles full of examples and quizzes.


Common mistakes

Commonly confused words

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Whoa or woah

Council vs counsel

Metonymy

Theirs or their's

Accept vs except

Synecdoche

Ours or our's

Affect vs effect

Verbal irony

Forty or fourty

Among vs between

Irony

Sence or sense

Anymore vs any more

Grawlix


Frequently asked questions about advisor vs adviser

Is it financial advisor or adviser?

Financial advisor and financial adviser are both equally correct. It’s important to be consistent throughout your writing, whether you choose advisor or adviser.

The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with consistency and other problems!

Is it college adviser or advisor?

College adviser and college advisor are both equally correct. It’s important to be consistent throughout your writing, whether you choose advisor or adviser.

The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with consistency and other problems!

Is it PhD advisor or adviser?

PhD advisor and PhD adviser are both equally correct. It’s important to be consistent throughout your writing, whether you choose advisor or adviser.

The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with consistency and other problems!

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Julia Merkus

Julia has master's degrees in Linguistics and Language and speech pathology. Her expertise lies in grammar, language and speech disorders, foreign language learning, and child language acquisition.

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