How to Use Council, Counsel and Consul Correctly

“Council" and "counsel" are nearly identical in their pronunciation, but they are spelled differently and have different meanings. It is easy to confuse the two and it gets even trickier when you add "consul" to the mix. The steps below explain how to use "council," counsel" and "consul" correctly.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Know how to spell each word correctly.
2. Understand the definition of each word. "Counsel" can be either a noun or a verb. As a noun, "counsel" means advice; as a verb, to counsel means to advise. "Council" means an assembly of legislators, advisers or administrators. A "consul" is a government representative who protects his or her home country's commercial interests while residing in another country.
3. Educate yourself about the idiomatic and historical uses of these terms. This can help you spell and use them correctly. For example, "counsel" can refer to a lawyer who provides legal representation. A more archaic example is to "keep your own counsel," meaning to keep your thoughts to yourself. Likewise, a modern consul is a government official. This has always been the case: in the ancient Roman Republic a consul was one of two government magistrates and in late 18th/early 19th century France three consuls represented the First Republic.
4. Be able to identify derivatives of use "council," counsel," and "consul." This will help you distinguish between them and also help you spell their derivatives correctly. For example, a lawyer may be addressed as "counselor" because he or she provides legal advice; and a camp counselor advises and supervises campers. A "councilor" is a member of a council. Premises occupied by a consul are called a "consulate."
5. Remember that it is never correct to use "council," counsel" and "consul" interchangeably.

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