The difference between raise, rise and raze (grammar lesson)


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Raise means to elevate (something upwards). Rise means to ascend. Raze means to destroy.

1. The words 'raise', 'rise' and 'raze' sound and look similar. As a result, there is sometimes confusion between them - particularly 'raise' and 'rise' as these are close in meaning too.

Raise and Rise

The word raise means to lift or elevate. Rise means to move from a lower position to a higher position. It has the same meaning as 'to ascend'. The past tense of rise is rose. There is no such word as 'rised'.

He is raising the red ball.
With "raise", there is usually something lifting something else.

The blue ball is rising.
With "rise", the object ascends itself.

Remember, raise is not always about lifting - you can raise a question and raise children.

Examples:

The stagehands need to raise the platform so it is high enough for the whole audience to see the bands.

Wearing a sheer skirt will rise a few eyebrows.
(should be raise)

The sheer skirt made his eyebrows rise.

Running the marathon will help to raise funds.

correctly named book

It would be too expensive rise the remnants of the Titanic.

(should be "raise the remnants of Titanic")

Raze

Raze is a less common word. It means to demolish completely or to delete. (It can also be written 'rase'. This is not a UK convention. It is simply an alternative spelling.)

The arsonist razed the forest to the ground.

The plough will raze the ice from the road surface.

Councils forced to raze homes.

(i.e., destroy them)

THE LETTER 'A' IN RAISE

The letter 'a' in raise can serve as a reminder that the verb 'to raise' acts on something. (This means it has a direct object.)

I raised my eyebrows.

(In this example, it is acting on 'my eyebrows'. Therefore, the direct object is 'my eyebrows'.)

She raised a question.

(In this example, the direct object is 'question'.)

TRANSITIVE VERBS

Verbs that take a direct object are known as transitive verbs. This is important because 'to raise' is a transitive verb, but 'to rise' is not. It is intransitive. It does not act on anything. This is the most notable difference between 'raise' and 'rise'.

I rose my eyebrows.

(The verb 'to rise' is intransitive. It cannot have a direct object. This example is wrong.)

My eyebrows rose.

(Here, 'rose' is not acting on anything.)

Watch the moon rise.