Practice Doing vs. Practice To Do
Cambridge documents practise + -ing for repeated training, while its general verb-pattern guidance places practise in the -ing-not-to-infinitive group. The separate Practice vs. Practise guide owns the regional spelling distinction; this page is only about the verb-complement pattern.
Use “practice doing” (British spelling: “practise doing”) for repeated training in an activity; do not substitute a direct “practice to do.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| repeated training in an action | practice doing / practise doing | Use the -ing complement; spelling depends on regional convention. |
| US verb spelling | practice + -ing | US English generally uses “practice” as the verb. |
| standard UK verb spelling | practise + -ing | UK English distinguishes verb “practise” from noun “practice.” |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Does the following verb name the activity being repeatedly trained?
If yes: Use an -ing form: “practice doing” in US spelling or “practise doing” in standard UK spelling.
If no: Use the construction appropriate to the different meaning; do not substitute a direct “practice to do” complement.
Caveat: This page is about the complement pattern. The separate Practice vs. Practise guide owns the regional spelling distinction, so do not turn regional spelling into a grammar error.
Examples
They practice speaking clearly every morning.
US verb spelling combines with an -ing complement for repeated training.
They practise speaking clearly every morning.
Standard UK verb spelling uses “practise” with the same -ing complement.
We practiced using the new controls.
The trained activity is expressed with an -ing form.
Further guidance
Boundary
The separate Practice vs. Practise guide owns the regional spelling distinction; this page is only about the verb-complement pattern.
Construction
Cambridge documents practise + -ing for repeated training, while its general verb-pattern guidance places practise in the -ing-not-to-infinitive group.
Decision
Use “practice doing” (British spelling: “practise doing”) for repeated training in an activity; do not substitute a direct “practice to do.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- PRACTISE — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · UK verb spelling; US “practice”
- Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + -ing? (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Verb-complement patterns, including verbs taking -ing, to-infinitive, or both with meaning differences