Appraise / Apprise / Apprize

 

Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:

APPRAISE / APPRISE / APPRIZE

The verb appraise means evaluate or set a value on while apprise means inform or give notice. Our third verb, apprize, means value or appreciate but is seldom used nowadays, which explains why it may not be included in your spell-checker.

INCORRECT: We’ll want the bank to apprise the property before we agree to the purchase price.

CORRECT: We’ll want the bank to appraise the property before we agree to the purchase price.

INCORRECT: Please appraise me immediately of any new developments in the situation.

CORRECT: Please apprise me immediately of any new developments in the situation.

INCORRECT: One should apprise art for its own sake rather than for any practical value it may have. 

CORRECT: One should apprize art for its own sake rather than for any practical value it may have.

© 2018 Ann Henry, all rights reserved.

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