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Grammar Clinic: The REAL difference between APPRAISE and APPRISE

Appraise and Apprise are not etymologically related and share no definitions, yet they’re easy to confuse because they sound similar and are both somewhat rare. If you need help remembering them, keep in mind that appraising something often involves praising it (when it is worthy or valuable), and apprise both rhymes with and is similar in meaning to advise (Inform, notify, tell, let know, advise, brief, intimate, make aware of, send word to, update, keep posted, keep up to date, keep up to speed and enlighten).

APPRAISE

To appraise something is to determine its value or to evaluate it. For instance, one might appraise a lamp to be worth 40 naira.

APPRISE

To apprise is to make someone aware of something.

Examples

We inspect and appraise pre-owned vehicles.
(assess/evaluate pre-own vehicles)

Managers appraise their subordinates against objectives set in the terms of reference.
(assess/evaluate their subordinates)

Please apprise the patient of the outcome of yesterday’s meeting.
(inform/notify/tell the patient)

Managers appraise their subordinates of objectives in the terms of
reference.
(should be apprise their subordinates of objectives, i.e., notify them)

Hint: To keep it straight, if someone appraises you, you hope for praise! If you apprise someone of a situation, you might also have to advise he person on what to do. Apprise — sounds like “a prize” — has another meaning, too, which is to gain in value.

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