Apparent and evident can both mean easy to see or understand. The important difference is that apparent also has another common meaning: seeming true or real, without necessarily being so.
Use apparent when describing how something looks, especially if its appearance might not match reality. For example: The apparent problem was actually a simple misunderstanding. Here, something looked like a problem, but it was not really one.
This meaning does not always mean the appearance is false. In Despite her apparent confidence, she asked for advice, the confidence may be real; the sentence describes how she seems.
However, apparent can also mean clear. For example: It became apparent that we had taken the wrong bus. The mistake became clear; the sentence does not suggest it was only an impression.
Use evident to present something as clear or noticeable, often because there are signs of it. For example: Her excitement was evident from her broad smile. The smile makes the excitement easy to recognize.
- Seeming, possibly different from reality: choose apparent.
- Clear or noticeable: either word may fit, depending on the sentence.
Compare an apparent improvement with an evident improvement. The first can leave open whether the improvement is real. The second presents it as clear. Still, neither word by itself guarantees that a judgment is correct.