device and devise differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. device means “an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose”. devise means “come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort”. device is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/dɪˈvaɪs/
1.n.an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose
“the device is small enough to wear on your wrist”
2.n.something in an artistic work designed to achieve a particular effect
3.n.any clever maneuver
“he would stoop to any device to win a point”
/dɪˈvaɪz/
1.v.come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
“excogitate a way to measure the speed of light”
2.v.arrange by systematic planning and united effort
“machinate a plot”
3.v.give by will, especially real property
| device | devise | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /dɪˈvaɪs/ | /dɪˈvaɪz/ |
| Said | di-VAHYS | di-VAHYZ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | noun | verb, noun |
| Senses | 5 | 5 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | none recorded | invent, contrive, excogitate |
Full entry for device · Full entry for devise · More comparisons