Advisor vs. Adviser How to Choose the Right Word

Much like toward and towards, the words advisor and adviser often pose some common conundrums: Do the two different, but correct, spellings of the same word convey subtly different meanings? And even if both are technically correct, is one more â€Å"appropriate† than the other in certain circumstances? Both advisor and adviser are examples of a category of nouns called agent nouns—nouns that refer to someone or something that performs the action of a verb and typically end in either â€Å"or† or â€Å"er,† like â€Å"worker† or â€Å"detector.† So, even though a person who writes is a writer, a person who dances is a dancer, and a person who wanders is a wanderer, a person who advises can be an adviser or an advisor. If their meaning is the same, how do you decide whether to use advisor or adviser? While both spellings are acceptable, both are not equally preferred. How to Use Advisor Both advisor and adviser refer to one who advises or gives advice to others. Advisor with the -or ending, is of Latin origin. Often, youll see this spelling used in more formal contexts, government, job titles, or academic work. Advisor is more heavily used, both in titles and otherwise, in scholarly and academic texts throughout the English-speaking world. This may be due to the fact that the -or suffix is commonly used with verbs that have a Latin origin. There is a largely unproven theory that due to its origin, advisor denotes a more â€Å"formal† tone than adviser, thus making it better suited for use in academic writing. The Virginia Tech University Style Guide, for example, recommends the use of advisor, as it is â€Å"used more commonly in academe,† adding that â€Å"adviser is acceptable in releases going to organizations that follow AP [Associated Press] style.† Although adviser is the heavily preferred spelling outside of North America, in the United States and Canada, advisor is often used as part of official job titles such as â€Å"financial advisor† or â€Å"academic advisor.† Advisor also appears to be preferred by the U.S. government, as in national security advisor and veterans preference advisor. Again, however, this is a preference, not a rule, as adviser is often used in titles too. How to Use Adviser The word adviser, ending with -er is of English origin. Overall, there appears to be a preference for the use of adviser in English. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, adviser appears more often than advisor. As a result, English-language usage guides, such as Garner’s Modern American Usage, list adviser as the recommended—but not mandatory—spelling, with advisor as a variant. However, the Associated Press Stylebook requires adviser. Both forms of the word first appeared in English texts written between 1605 and 1615. However, it is believed that adviser had been commonly used for several years before advisor first appeared, perhaps contributing to its wider range of acceptance today. Examples Following are a couple of examples of the word in use: On dorm move-in day, freshmen will meet the resident adviser (RA), who will help the students acclimate to their new home.As you approach retirement, you should meet with a financial advisor periodically to keep your money properly diversified. As stated, the words are interchangeable in meaning, so there are generally no negative ramifications in using either one—unless youre following a particular style guide in your work or are in a regulatory environment. Financial planning consultant Bob Veres told Investment News, Whenever I see someone spell adviser with an e, I know its a securities attorney or an industry lobbyist who specializes in the SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission], because the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 spells the term that way. A couple of additional examples: The presidents national security adviser informed him of the current situation.President Obama named Susan Rice to the post of national security advisor. If youre writing an article for a newspaper or magazine that follows AP style, use the more common adviser, according to the stylebooks entry for the generic word usage. But if youre referring to a persons company-conferred job title, defer to the companys spelling of the word. How to Remember the Difference Fortunately, you dont have to remember the difference between the two words because they mean the same thing. Just be aware of the preference of whomever youre writing for or how a persons title is noted in his or her official job description. Because neither adviser nor advisor is grammatically wrong, usage of the two words really comes down to a matter of choice, with a caveat. They should be used consistently. With few exceptions, they shouldnt both be used in the same document. Exceptions to Consistency Those few exceptions to consistency in a single document include usage in proper names and titles and in quotations. When used in proper names and titles, adviser and advisor should always be spelled as they are in the title. In the president’s â€Å"Council of Economic Advisers,† for example, use of advisor would be incorrect. Similarly, when quoting text from another document, adviser and advisor should be spelled as they are in the source. One Rule: Adviser as an Adjective Although adviser is the generally preferred spelling when the word is used as a noun, the adjectival form of adviser is correctly spelled advisory. For example: As a noun: I work as an adviser for my company.As an adjective: I will be working for the firm in an advisory capacity. This may contribute to the confusion surrounding adviser vs. advisor. However, while either adviser or advisor can be used in most cases, advisory is the only correct adjectival spelling. Advisery isn’t even a word. Sources â€Å"Adviser.†Ã‚  Associated Press Stylebook, www.apstylebook.com/ap_stylebook/adviser.â€Å"Adviser | Definition of Adviser in English by Oxford Dictionaries.†Ã‚  Oxford Dictionaries | English, Oxford Dictionaries, en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/adviser.Benjamin, Jeff. â€Å"Adviser or Advisor? The Debate Rages On.†Ã‚  InvestmentNews - The Investing News Source for Financial Advisers, 19 Mar. 2017, www.investmentnews.com/article/20170319/FREE/170319931/adviser-or-advisor-the-debate-rages-on.Garner, Bryan A.  Garners Modern American Usage. Oxford University Press, 2009. â€Å"University Style Guide.†Ã‚  VT Virginia Tech, vt.edu/brand/resources/university-style-guide.html.