The Adviser vs. Advisor debate is undoubtedly one of the most popular (and nerdy) in all of yearbooking. Here at Jostens/School Annual/etc., we spell adviser with an e. The two spellings can technically be used interchangeably, but we have a few reasons why we use adviser. Let’s take a look!
What’s In A Name?
Adviser and Advisor mean the exact same thing according to all major dictionaries. So why are there two different spellings? It depends on their origin. The -or suffix originates in Latin, while the -er suffix is Germanic. Adviser is actually the older of the two by a few decades (and therefore is the original spelling), although both versions got their start in the 1500s. Do you think they had yearbooks back then?
We’ve Got Style
As a whole, journalism professionals follow the AP Style guidelines for grammar and spelling. According to the AP Stylebook (the official book of rules for AP Style), adviser is the correct spelling to use. They even tweeted about it in 2013.
A Word of Advice
The Merriam-Webster dictionary offers this helpful tip for remembering how to spell adviser: “adviser retains the e prominent at the finish of both advise and advice, while advisor aligns nicely with supervisor, and plays well with advisory and supervisory.” We think this works well for our yearbook advisers, since they give so much good advice and guidance to students! It’s kind of like putting the “pal” in “principal.”
Don’t worry if it takes you a few tries to remember to use adviser instead of advisor. With any luck, the learning process will help you fall in love with all the fun grammar and spelling nuances of the yearbooking world! If not, at least you’ll have the most important one under your belt.
We’re here to help make a meaningful yearbook that will end up in the hands of every student, all while providing you with a fun and hassle-free yearbook experience. We promise to make your experience with School Annual easy, fun and affordable.