Appraise and apprise look similar, but they do very different jobs.
Appraise means to assess, evaluate, or estimate the value or quality of something. It is often used for money, property, performance, or overall worth. For example: The agent will appraise the house before listing it.
Apprise means to inform, notify, or make someone aware of something. It is about giving information, not judging value. For example: Please apprise the team of the new deadline.
A quick way to remember the difference is this: appraise is about assessment, while apprise is about awareness.
- Use appraise when someone is evaluating quality, condition, or worth.
- Use apprise when someone is updating another person with information.
- If the sentence could mean estimate, judge, or evaluate, choose appraise.
- If the sentence could mean tell, notify, or inform, choose apprise.
These words are easy to confuse because they differ by only one letter, but the meaning is not close. If value is being judged, use appraise. If information is being shared, use apprise.