Tip vs. Advice — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 28, 2023
A tip is a specific suggestion for a beneficial action, while advice is a broader recommendation or guidance on a subject.
Difference Between Tip and Advice
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A tip often refers to a specific, practical piece of information that helps in performing a particular task more efficiently. It's succinct and to the point. Advice, on the other hand, is a more general guidance or opinion offered in response to a particular situation or query.
In many contexts, a tip can be seen as something that's handy or beneficial, almost like a shortcut or a hack. It's often derived from someone's personal experience. Advice encompasses a wider spectrum and is typically more comprehensive, offering a viewpoint or direction based on knowledge or wisdom.
If you were visiting a new city, a tip might be a specific restaurant to try, while advice might be to always keep a map handy and be aware of local customs. The former is specific and actionable, the latter general and preparatory.
It's also worth noting that the word "tip" can also refer to a gratuity given for services, such as to a waiter at a restaurant. "Advice" does not have this monetary connotation and always pertains to guidance or recommendations.
In essence, while both tip and advice offer guidance, a tip is usually more specific and actionable, whereas advice is more about giving direction or perspective on a broader issue.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Specific suggestion for beneficial action.
Broader recommendation or guidance on a subject.
Breadth
Narrow, specific.
Wide, general.
Context
Practical, often derived from experience.
Comprehensive, based on knowledge or wisdom.
Example in Travel
A good restaurant to try.
Keep a map handy and be aware of local customs.
Additional Connotations
Can also mean gratuity for services.
Strictly pertains to guidance or recommendations.
Compare with Definitions
Tip
A piece of confidential information.
I got a tip that the stock prices would rise.
Advice
Opinions about what could or should be done.
I took his advice and pursued my dream.
Tip
To tilt or overturn something.
Be careful, or the boat might tip.
Advice
A formal notice of a financial transaction.
I received an advice note with my payment.
Tip
The end of a pointed or projecting object.
Advice
An official notification.
The bank sent an advice of the funds transfer.
Tip
A piece or an attachment, such as a cap or ferrule, meant to be fitted to the end of something else
The barbed tip of a harpoon.
Advice
Counseling or consultation on personal matters.
She sought legal advice on the matter.
Tip
The act of tipping.
Advice
Opinion about what could or should be done about a situation or problem; counsel.
Tip
A tilt or slant; an incline.
Advice
Often advices Information communicated; news
Advices from an ambassador.
Tip
Chiefly British An area or a place for dumping something, such as rubbish.
Advice
(uncountable) An opinion offered to guide behavior in an effort to be helpful.
She was offered various pieces of advice on what to do with her new-found wealth.
On the advice of her doctor, Mary cut down on her carbohydrates.
I have some useful advice to give you.
Sushil never took the advice of his parents, but still became rich.
Tip
A light blow; a tap.
Advice
Deliberate consideration; knowledge.
Tip
(Baseball) A pitched ball that is tipped
A foul tip.
Advice
Information or news given; intelligence
Late advices from France
Tip
A small sum of money given to someone for performing a service; a gratuity.
Advice
(countable) In language about financial transactions executed by formal documents, an advisory document.
An advice of an incoming settlement payment order may be given to an off-line receiving bank.
Tip
A piece of confidential, advance, or inside information
Got a tip on the next race.
Advice
(uncountable) In commercial language, information communicated by letter; used chiefly in reference to drafts or bills of exchange
A letter of advice
Tip
A helpful hint
A column of tips on gardening.
Advice
A communication providing information, such as how an uncertain area of law might apply to possible future actions
An advice issued by a Monitoring Committee could be applicable in a Dutch court
Tip
To furnish with a tip.
Advice
Counseling to perform a specific legal act.
Tip
To cover or decorate the tip of
Tip strawberries with chocolate.
Advice
Counseling to perform a specific illegal act.
Tip
To remove the tip of
Tip artichokes.
Advice
In aspect-oriented programming, the code whose execution is triggered when a join point is reached.
Tip
To dye the ends of (hair or fur) in order to blend or improve appearance.
Advice
An opinion recommended or offered, as worthy to be followed; counsel.
We may give advice, but we can not give conduct.
Tip
To push or knock over; overturn or topple
Bumped the table and tipped a vase.
Advice
Deliberate consideration; knowledge.
How shall I dote on her with more advice,That thus without advice begin to love her?
Tip
To move to a slanting position; tilt
Tipped the rearview mirror slightly downward.
A weight that tipped the balance.
Advice
Information or notice given; intelligence; as, late advices from France; - commonly in the plural.
Tip
To touch or raise (one's hat) in greeting.
Advice
Counseling to perform a specific illegal act.
Tip
To empty (something) by overturning; dump.
Advice
A proposal for an appropriate course of action
Tip
To dump (rubbish, for example).
Advice
Guidance or recommendations offered concerning future action.
Her advice was to wait and see.
Tip
To topple over; overturn
The trash can tipped over in the wind.
Tip
To be tilted; slant
The cabinet tipped toward the wall.
Tip
To strike gently; tap.
Tip
(Baseball) To hit (a pitched ball) with the side of the bat so that it glances off.
Tip
(Sports) To tap or deflect (a ball or puck, for example), especially in scoring.
Tip
(Sports) To deflect or glance off. Used of a ball or puck.
Tip
Lower Southern US To tiptoe.
Tip
To give a tip to
Tipped the waiter generously.
Tip
To give as a tip
He tipped a dollar and felt that it was enough.
Tip
To provide with a piece of confidential, advance, or inside information
A disgruntled gang member who tipped the police to the planned robbery.
Tip
To give tips or a tip
One who tips lavishly.
Tip
The extreme end of something, especially when pointed; e.g. the sharp end of a pencil.
The tip of one's nose
Tip
A piece of metal, fabric or other material used to cover the top of something for protection, utility or decoration.
A tip for an umbrella, a shoe, a gas burner, etc.
Tip
(music) The end of a bow of a stringed instrument that is not held.
Tip
A small piece of meat.
Chicken tips over rice, pork tips, marinated alligator tips
Tip
A piece of stiffened lining pasted on the inside of a hat crown.
Tip
A thin, boarded brush made of camel's hair, used by gilders in lifting gold leaf.
Tip
Synonym of eartip
Tip
The knocking over of a skittle.
Tip
An act of tipping up or tilting.
Tip
An area or a place for dumping something, such as rubbish or refuse, as from a mine; a heap (see tipple); a dump.
Tip
Rubbish thrown from a quarry.
Tip
A recycling centre.
Tip
(colloquial) A very untidy place.
Tip
The act of deflecting with one's fingers, especially the fingertips
Tip
A tram for expeditiously transferring coal.
Tip
A light blow or tap.
Tip
A gratuity; a small amount of money left for a bartender, waiter, taxi driver or other servant as a token of appreciation.
Workers in the American service industry usually depend on tips to even make minimum wage.
Tip
A piece of private or secret information, especially imparted by someone with expert knowledge about sporting odds, business performance etc.
Hot stock tips
Tip
A piece of advice.
Tips and tricks
Tip
(AU) A prediction or bet about the outcome of something.
Tip
(transitive) To provide with a tip; to cover the tip of.
Tip
(ergative) (To cause) to become knocked over, fall down or overturn.
Tip
(ergative) (To cause) to be, or come to be, in a tilted or sloping position; (to cause) to become unbalanced.
Tip
To cause the contents of a container to be emptied out by tilting it.
Tip
To drink.
Tip
(transitive) To dump (refuse).
Tip
To pour a libation or a liquid from a container, particularly from a forty of malt liquor.
Tip
(transitive) To deflect with one′s fingers, especially one′s fingertips.
Tip
To hit quickly and lightly; to tap.
Tip
To give a small gratuity to, especially to an employee of someone who provides a service.
You should always tip your waiter in the United States and most third world countries.
Tip
To give, pass.
Tip
To give a piece of private information to; to inform (someone) of a clue, secret knowledge, etc.
Tip
(AU) To predict or bet on something having a particular outcome.
Tip
The point or extremity of anything; a pointed or somewhat sharply rounded end; the end; as, the tip of the finger; the tip of a spear.
To the very tip of the nose.
Tip
An end piece or part; a piece, as a cap, nozzle, ferrule, or point, applied to the extreme end of anything; as, a tip for an umbrella, a shoe, a gas burner, etc.
Tip
A piece of stiffened lining pasted on the inside of a hat crown.
Tip
A thin, boarded brush made of camel's hair, used by gilders in lifting gold leaf.
Tip
Rubbish thrown from a quarry.
Tip
A light touch or blow; a tap.
Tip
A gift; a douceur; a fee.
Tip
A hint, or secret intimation, as to the chances in a horse race, or the like.
Tip
To form a point upon; to cover the tip, top, or end of; as, to tip anything with gold or silver.
With truncheon tipped with iron head.
Tipped with jet,Fair ermines spotless as the snows they press.
Tip
To strike slightly; to tap.
A third rogue tips me by the elbow.
Tip
To bestow a gift, or douceur, upon; to give a present to; as, to tip a servant.
Tip
To lower one end of, or to throw upon the end; to tilt; as, to tip a cask; to tip a cart.
Tip
To fall on, or incline to, one side.
Tip
The extreme end of something; especially something pointed
Tip
A relatively small amount of money given for services rendered (as by a waiter)
Tip
An indication of potential opportunity;
He got a tip on the stock market
A good lead for a job
Tip
A V shape;
The cannibal's teeth were filed to sharp points
Tip
The top point of a mountain or hill;
The view from the peak was magnificent
They clambered to the summit of Monadnock
Tip
Cause to tilt;
Tip the screen upward
Tip
Mark with a tip;
Tip the arrow with the small stone
Tip
Give a tip or gratuity to in return for a service, beyond the agreed-on compensation;
Remember to tip the waiter
Fee the steward
Tip
Cause to topple or tumble by pushing
Tip
To incline or bend from a vertical position;
She leaned over the banister
Tip
Walk on one's toes
Tip
Strike lightly;
He tapped me on the shoulder
Tip
Give insider information or advise to;
He tipped off the police about the terrorist plot
Tip
Remove the tip from;
Tip artichokes
Tip
A specific suggestion for a beneficial action.
Always backup your files.
Tip
A gratuity given in appreciation for services rendered.
I left a generous tip for the waiter.
Common Curiosities
Can a tip be about a specific task?
Yes, a tip usually offers a specific suggestion for a particular task.
Can "tip" refer to a monetary gesture?
Yes, "tip" can also mean a gratuity given for services.
Is advice only about giving opinions?
While advice involves giving opinions, it can also include guidance, recommendations, and counseling.
Can advice be formal in nature?
Yes, advice can be both formal, as in official notifications, and informal, as in personal opinions.
Is all advice based on personal experience?
Not necessarily, advice can be based on knowledge, wisdom, or expertise, not just personal experience.
Can a tip be about a future event?
Yes, a tip can be about a future event, especially if it's confidential information.
Can a tip be seen as a shortcut?
Often, a tip can be seen as a handy suggestion or shortcut derived from experience.
Is advice always broad in nature?
Advice is generally more comprehensive and broader than a tip, offering perspective or direction.
Can the word "tip" refer to the end of an object?
Yes, "tip" can also mean the end of a pointed or projecting object.
Can advice be given without solicitation?
Yes, advice can be offered voluntarily, even if not solicited.
Can you seek advice on legal matters?
Absolutely, one can seek legal advice from experts about legal matters.
Is a tip always actionable?
Typically, tips are actionable and offer specific suggestions.
Is a tip always based on experience?
Often, but not always, tips are derived from personal experience or insider knowledge.
Can advice be a formal notice?
Yes, in some contexts, advice can refer to a formal notice of a financial transaction.
Can "tip" mean to tilt something?
Yes, "tip" can also mean to tilt or overturn something.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
