Commonly Confused Words: Appraise/Apprise

[melayneseahawk]

Hello, and welcome to another article on Commonly Confused Words! Today’s topic is a pair of words that I confuse all the time, so I thought I’d settle it once and for all: what is the difference between “appraise” and “apprise”, and what are some ways to remember which is which?

First, let’s start with some definitions...

with examples from Steven Universe and Star Trek (2009)

According to Merriam-Webster,

Appraise: 1. to set a value on, to estimate the amount of. 2. to evaluate the worth, significance, or status of; especially: to give an expert judgment of the value or merit of

Apprise: 1. to give notice to

And here are some examples in text!

“Red sandstone, ha!” Peridot said, as she appraised the walls of the beta kindergarten. “This is what I’m talking about! We’re lucky this place hasn’t blown away.”

"Awesome. Keep me apprised." Jim frowns. "Is that a word? I'm pretty sure that's a word."

"It is," says Spock.

"You're a little surprised yourself, aren't you?" Jim asks, grinning in a way that he knows Spock thinks is obnoxious.

So, the two words look and sound very similar, but have very different meanings. How to tell them apart? The root word for appraise is the same as praise; when you appraise something, you’re determining if it’s worthy of praise. The root word for apprise means “to learn or teach”, so if you have any tips for how to remember from that direction, respond in the comments!

Tune in next week for another set of Commonly Confused Words!

(The Star Trek example is shamelessly borrowed from Deastar’s marvelous So Wise We Grow.)

Comments

[starwatcher]

.
Thanks for this. I avoid using 'apprise' because, like Jim, I always wonder if it's really a word. Maybe this will help.

OTOH, I always think "Keep me apprised" sounds kind of frou-frou; "keep me informed" or "keep me in the loop" work just as well, without the possibility of mixing up these words.

But in the interest of using all the tools available, how about... "You get a prize if you learn what they're teaching."
.

[jiokra]

I was thinking about prizes too! Like "The prize of learning is knowledge."