Quick answer: Use apprise when you mean to inform or notify someone. Use appraise when you mean to assess the value, quality, or condition of something. They are not interchangeable.
I have spent two decades editing corporate communications, legal briefs, and marketing copy, and I can tell you that few errors trigger my red pen as quickly as mixing up apprise and appraise. It is a classic homophone trap. They sound nearly identical in rapid speech, they share similar Latin roots regarding “value” and “preparation,” and they both appear frequently in professional settings. But confusing them does more than just look sloppy; it completely inverts your meaning. If you tell your boss you will “appraise them of the situation,” you are implying you intend to judge their worth rather than update them on the news. Let’s fix this confusion once and for all so you can write with absolute precision.
| Term | Meaning / When to use | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Apprise | To inform, notify, or give notice to someone. Use when sharing information. | Please apprise me of any changes to the schedule. |
| Appraise | To assess the value, quality, or performance of something or someone. Use when evaluating. | The bank will appraise the house before approving the loan. |
When to use apprise
The verb apprise is strictly about communication. It means to make someone aware of a fact or situation. You will almost always see it followed by the preposition “of.” The structure is rigid: you apprise someone of something.
This word carries a formal tone. You won’t hear teenagers texting each other to “apprise” their friends about a party. Instead, you find it in boardrooms, legal documents, military briefings, and high-stakes email chains. It implies that the information being shared is significant, official, or requires attention.
Here are three concrete examples of how I correct this word in real-world drafts:
In a project management email:
- Incorrect: “I will appraise the team of the new deadline.”
- Correct: “I will apprise the team of the new deadline.”
- Why: You are informing them, not judging their performance.
In a legal notification:
- Incorrect: “The defendant was appraised of his rights.”
- Correct: “The defendant was apprised of his rights.”
- Why: The court is notifying the defendant, not evaluating the monetary value of his rights.
In a status update:
- Incorrect: “Keep me appraised on the merger talks.”
- Correct: “Keep me apprised on the merger talks.”
- Why: You want updates, not an evaluation of the talks’ worth.
If you can replace the word with “inform” or “notify,” apprise is the only correct choice. If the sentence feels too stiff, consider using “update” or “tell,” but never swap in “appraise.”
When to use appraise
The verb appraise is strictly about evaluation. It comes from the Old French aprisier, meaning “to set a price on.” Today, it covers a broader range of assessments, including financial value, job performance, and property condition.
You use appraise when an expert or authority figure examines something to determine its worth, quality, or status. This is common in real estate, human resources, insurance, and antiques dealing. Unlike apprise, which focuses on the transfer of information, appraise focuses on the act of judgment and measurement.
Consider these real-world scenarios where appraise is mandatory:
In a real estate transaction:
- Incorrect: “We need to apprise the home’s market value.”
- Correct: “We need to appraise the home’s market value.”
- Why: A professional is determining the price, not telling the house some news.
In a performance review:
- Incorrect: “The manager will apprise the employee’s annual goals.”
- Correct: “The manager will appraise the employee’s annual goals.”
- Why: The manager is evaluating progress against targets. According to standard business practices, performance appraisals are critical tools for employee development and compensation decisions.
In an insurance claim:
- Incorrect: “The adjuster will apprise the damage to the vehicle.”
- Correct: “The adjuster will appraise the damage to the vehicle.”
- Why: The adjuster is calculating the cost of repairs, not informing the car about the dent.
A helpful rule of thumb: if you can replace the word with “evaluate,” “estimate,” or “judge,” then appraise is the correct term. Note that the noun form is appraisal, which refers to the actual report or statement of value produced after the act of appraising.
How to remember the difference
Memory tricks work best when they link the spelling to the meaning through a visual or logical hook. Here are two methods I teach to junior editors who struggle with this pair.
1. The “Price” Connection Look at the word appraise. It contains the word praise, but more importantly, it shares its root with price. When you appraise something, you are often setting a price or determining its financial worth. Think: “Appraise the price.” The double ‘a’ at the start can remind you of “Assess Amount.”
2. The “Info” Link Look at the word apprise. It ends in -ise, which sounds like “info” if you squint, but a better link is to think of advise. Both apprise and advise involve giving information or counsel to someone. Furthermore, apprise has only one ‘a’ after the ‘p’. Think of it as a single action: passing one piece of information. Or, even simpler: Apprise = Inform. Both start with vowels and end in soft sounds. For more, see Apprenticeship.
My personal favorite mnemonic is this:
- Appr<u>a</u>ise has an A for Assessment.
- Appr<u>i</u>se has an I for Information.
If you are giving Information, use the word with the I. If you are doing an Assessment, use the word with the A. This single-letter distinction is the fastest way to self-correct during proofreading.
Common mistakes and exceptions
The most frequent error I encounter is the hypercorrection where writers believe appraise is the “smarter” or more formal word, so they use it in every context. This leads to sentences like “Please appraise me of the situation,” which unintentionally suggests the speaker wants to evaluate the situation’s worth rather than hear about it.
Another common pitfall is the confusion with the noun forms.
- The noun for apprise is rarely used in modern English. We don’t say “give an apprision.” We say “give notice” or “provide an update.”
- The noun for appraise is appraisal. This is a very common word in business and real estate.
It is also worth noting that apprise is somewhat archaic in casual conversation. In spoken English, native speakers almost always prefer “let me know,” “tell me,” or “update me.” Using apprise in a text message to a friend (“Hey, apprise me when you get there”) will sound unnatural and pretentious. Reserve apprise for written, professional, or legal contexts where precision and formality are required.
Conversely, appraise has no such stylistic restriction. It is the standard term in both casual and professional settings when discussing value. You can ask a friend to appraise your vintage comic book collection just as easily as a bank appraises a mortgage collateral.
There are no significant US vs UK spelling differences for these specific verbs. Both American and British English spell them as apprise and appraise. However, be careful not to confuse appraise with apprize, an obsolete spelling that occasionally appears in very old texts but is considered incorrect in modern usage. Stick to the standard spellings to ensure your writing is accessible and professional.
For those interested in the historical depth of evaluation, the concept of formal assessment has deep roots. While modern corporate appraisals focus on metrics and KPIs, the fundamental act of judging value or quality has been part of human trade and social structure for centuries. Understanding the precise language we use to describe these acts helps maintain clarity in our professional interactions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use “apprise” without the word “of”? Technically, yes, but it is rare and often sounds awkward. The standard construction is “apprise someone of something.” In modern usage, if you drop the “of,” you are likely better off switching to “inform” or “notify.”
Is “self-appraise” a real word? Yes, “self-appraise” is a valid compound verb meaning to evaluate one’s own performance or worth. It is commonly used in human resources contexts where employees complete self-evaluations before their formal review.
What is the past tense of apprise and appraise? Both are regular verbs. The past tense of apprise is apprised (e.g., “He apprised me yesterday”). The past tense of appraise is appraised (e.g., “They appraised the jewelry last week”). Note the double ‘s’ in apprised versus the double ‘s’ in appraised—wait, actually, both take a ‘d’ directly. Apprise becomes apprised. Appraise becomes appraised. The spelling change is subtle: apprise adds ‘d’, appraise adds ‘d’.
Why do people confuse these words so often? Beyond the similar sound, both words derive from Old French roots related to value and preparation (pris meaning price/value). Over centuries, apprise shifted meaning from “to prepare or value” to “to inform,” while appraise kept the “value” meaning. This shared etymological history makes the distinction counterintuitive without explicit study.
Kevin Sanchez holds a Master’s degree in English Linguistics from the University of California, where he cultivated a deep appreciation for the intricacies of language. With over 10 years of experience in the field, Kevin specializes in the nuances of English spelling, particularly the evolution of spelling conventions over time. His fascination with how English words have transformed through cultural and technological influences led him to become a prominent voice at SpellRightDaily. Kevin produces content focused on historical spelling variations and their contemporary implications, offering readers insightful comparisons of British and American English. Beyond this, Kevin has a keen interest in educating readers about the rules that govern standard spelling and the exceptions that often lead to confusion. His articles frequently feature tips for mastering complex spelling patterns and understanding the etymology of perplexing words. Kevin’s dedication to clarity and accessibility makes his contributions invaluable to both casual readers and English language professionals.