Devise vs. Device

(This page may contain affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

Understanding the difference between commonly confused words will help you avoid making errors in English usage. Let’s examine the difference between the following:

devise

The verb devise means to plan or invent something.

The program was devised with input from all the school board’s departments.
This man has an idea of how to devise a new invention.

device

Device is a noun meaning a piece of mechanical or electronic equipment. It can also mean a tactic or scheme, a turn of phrase, or a design or emblem.

A ventilator is a device used in hospitals to give artificial respiration to people having trouble breathing on their own.
Many of us have an assortment of devices.

☛ To help you remember how to correctly spell each of these words, here are two sentences to jog your memory:

A freezer is a device to make ice.
Only the wise can devise a fair compromise.

Photo credits:

Photo 1: Image by Mariakray from Pixabay

Photo 2: Image by GraphicMama-team from Pixabay