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 RiseThe 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'.
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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.
RazeRaze 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 bulldozer is going to raze the house and replace it with flats.
The plough will raze the ice from the road surface.
Councils forced to raze homes.
(i.e., destroy them)
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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'.)
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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.
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Common grammar errors
