Appraise or Apprise?

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Appraise or Apprise?

What is the difference between "appraise" and "apprise"?
  • "To appraise" means "to assess." For example:
    • I need to appraise the situation.
  • "To apprise" means "to inform." For example:
    • I need to apprise the staff of the latest changes.
appraise or apprise?
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More about "Appraise" and "Apprise"

Writers often use the verb "to appraise" when they mean "to apprise." (This rarely happens the other way around, i.e., using "apprise" instead of "appraise.") This mistake occurs because some writers are unaware that "to apprise" even exists.

Appraise

The verb "to appraise" means "to assess" or "to evaluate."

Here are some examples with "appraise":
  • We inspect and appraise pre-owned vehicles.
    • (We assess/evaluate pre-owned vehicles.)
  • Managers appraise their subordinates against objectives set in their terms of reference.
    • (Managers assess/evaluate their subordinates.)

Apprise

The verb "to apprise" means "to inform" or "to notify."

Here are some examples with "apprise":
  • Please apprise the patient of the outcome of yesterday's meeting.
    • (Please inform/notify/tell the patient.)
  • Managers appraise their subordinates of objectives in the terms of reference.
    • (This should be "apprise their subordinates of objectives," i.e., notify them.)

A Video Summary

Here is a 2-minute video summarizing the difference between "appraise" and "apprise."

Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.

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See Also

adverse or averse? affect or effect? avenge or revenge? bare or bear? complement or compliment? dependant or dependent? discreet or discrete? disinterested or uninterested? e.g. or i.e.? envy or jealousy? imply or infer? its or it's? material or materiel? poisonous or venomous? practice or practise? principal or principle? tenant or tenet? who's or whose? What are verbs? List of easily confused words