Lisence vs. License vs. Liscence: Which Is Correct?

In the US, "license" is the only correct spelling and is used for both the noun and verb forms of the word. "Lisence" is a misspelling of the word.

In the UK, "licence" is the correct spelling for the noun form and "license" is the correct spelling of the verb form.

As a noun, a "license" ("licence" in UK English) is an official document granted by an authority to perform an action or engage in an activity.

As a verb, "license" (also "license" in UK English) means to grant permission to someone or something to perform an action or engage in an activity.

"Liscence" is the incorrect word to describe "license" and "licence."

Try Engram for FREE!

Check out our other related blogposts:

📇 Buses vs.Busses: Which is the correct plural form?
📇 Travelling or Traveling
📇 Lawyer vs. Attorney: Understanding the Terminology

UK variation of "license" (noun):

licence

Common misspellings of "license" (US) or "licence" (UK):

liscense
lisence
licesnse
licensce
licesne
lincense
lisence
liscence
licecnse
licens
licecse
liecnse
lisense
licnese
license

Try Engram for FREE!

Example sentences

The following sentences showcase how "license" or "licence" are used as either nouns or verbs in US and UK English.

US English:

You must have a valid driver's license to drive legally in this state.
The government issued a fishing license to the eager angler.
The state will license the new daycare center after a thorough inspection.
After completing the required training, he was licensed to practice medicine.
She needed a special license to operate heavy machinery at the construction site.

UK English:

He applied for a driving licence to legally operate the vehicle.
The music festival organizers secured a licence for the event.
The government will license companies to explore oil drilling in certain areas.
She licensed her photographs to a magazine for publication.
The artist needed a licence to sell his paintings in the market.

Want to sound like a native speaker?

Engram’s AI-powered grammar checker makes your English sound like a native speaker’s, suggesting natural English expressions on top of fixing grammar, spelling, punctuation, word order, and vocabulary.