I think I have seen it spelled both ways.
Is one spelling more common or formal than the other ? (e.g. in the U.S.)
asked Apr 29, 2012 at 18:01
-
4Similar question in English Language & Usage: english.stackexchange.com/questions/2714/…– Ran G.Commented Apr 29, 2012 at 19:06
Add a comment
|
3 Answers
According to the New Oxford American Dictionary (that I have by default on my Mac :)):
The spellings adviser and advisor are both correct. Adviser is more common, but advisor is also widely used, especially in North America. Adviser may be seen as less formal, while advisor often suggests an official position.
Since it's an official position, I'd rather go for Ph.D. advisor
-
1Which is interesting considering this sight throws up the red flag for advisor.– derelictCommented May 20, 2014 at 14:16
I grew up learning the spelling as "advisor," which goes along with "supervisor." I've never seen "superviser," either, and "adviser" just looks strange to me.
This may actually be a field-dependent issue: in academia, I've always seen "advisor" as the preferred spelling (and a number of schools agree with that assessment). However, outside of academic contexts, "adviser" seems to be preferred, both in the UK and the US, as shown here.
answered Apr 29, 2012 at 18:33
In my high school, my teacher said it is British English Vs American English.
-
It's not. Maybe British English only uses "advisor," but Americans use both variants.– aeismailCommented Apr 30, 2012 at 5:40
-
1
-
And as a counterargument: The Grammarist gives examples of UK papers preferring "adviser."– aeismailCommented May 1, 2012 at 8:45
-
I think you typed your first comment wrong, it should be "Maybe British English only uses 'advisEr' ". And this will end our discussion because I dont care if people call it Financial Advisor or Adviser in America, both are acceptable for me. Commented May 1, 2012 at 14:54
-
I think the posts above suggest that "advisor" is more common in the US. But it doesn't sound like it matters very much.– makoCommented Feb 10, 2013 at 6:35