guide

To guide is to show someone the way through a place or an experience.

• A teacher guides his or her students through a course.
• Light from a beacon guided us to our destination.
• The blind man’s daughter guided him through the crowd.
• The navigation system on your cell phone can guide you through the streets of any city.
• A counselor helps guide students as they go through school.

There are two nouns that are associated with this word: guide and guidance. A guide is a person or a reference; guidance is advice or help.

• A guide showed us around the old city.
• The doctor provided his patient with some guidance about the importance of diet and exercise.
• I’m going to need some guidance in upgrading the RAM on my computer.
• This book is a good guide when traveling through Canada.

A map is a useful guide.

The word "guided" is an adjective:

• There are guided tours of Chicago that you can take if you travel to that city as a tourist.
• Guiding reading practice can help you become a better speaker of English.

*Thanks to Srinivas for another great suggestion!

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Published April 28, 2013; updated April 16, 2017