Apprise or appraise: use the right word

Working through a government document recently,  I noticed the use of the word ‘appraise’. It was used incorrectly, and the writer intended the meaning of the word apprise.

Unfortunately I don’t have the exact example – it was a while ago. However, it bothered me enough to write this blog. (And it’s not the first time I’ve seen this error)

Many writers confuse the usage of apprise and appraise, much like my other bug bear, whopping and whooping.

Appraise means to review or evaluate the value of something. For example, in the sense of work, staff members get regular appraisals. In other words, their work performance is evaluated.

Heads up

Apprise means to inform or tell someone about something. In today’s ‘speak’, its often quoted as “Let me give you the heads-up”, informing someone of something before it happens.

You could be apprising your colleague of her appraisal that will be taking place on a specific date.

Apprise and appraise are not the same. These two words look and sound similar, leading to frequent mix-ups. Don’t be fooled by this linguistic chameleon. Here’s a simple trick to keep them straight:

Break it down

Take the ‘praise’ out of ‘appraise’ to make the difference in meaning clearer – praising, lauding something gives it a positive value, back to the meaning – to evaluate.

Take the ‘prise’ out of ‘apprise’ and think of what a gift it is to be informed of a situation ahead of time or to have a critical piece of breaking news ahead of other publications, assuming your work in a newsroom.

I hope these ideas help you to remember the difference between appraise and apprise and improve your overall use of the English language.

Veracity and voracity: use these words correctly

Know your whopping from your whooping: word usage

 

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