"Apprise" = to inform or notify someone of something; "appraise" = to assess the value or quality of something.
Formal verb: to inform someone of a fact or situation, to notify. Always takes a personal object ("keep me apprised" = keep me informed). Common in formal, legal, and military language.
Please keep the director apprised of any developments in the negotiation process.
The general apprised his troops of the change in orders before they moved out.
I was not apprised of the decision until it had already been implemented.
Verb: to evaluate the value, quality, or merit of something. A real estate appraiser appraises properties. An employee is appraised by their manager. A jewel or painting is appraised by an expert. Related to "appraisal" (evaluation, valuation).
The bank required an independent expert to appraise the property before approving the mortgage.
At her annual review, her manager appraised her performance and gave her a rating of "exceeds expectations".
The auction house appraised the painting at $2.4 million based on its condition and provenance.
Common mistake
"Keep me appraised" is a frequent error: it should be "keep me apprised" (informed). "Appraised" in that context implies you have been evaluated or valued, not informed. The test: if the object is a PERSON receiving information, use APPRISE. If the object is a THING whose value or quality is being evaluated, use APPRAISE.
Trick to remember it
Direct trick: APPRISE = inform/notify a PERSON. APPRAISE = evaluate/value a THING. Memory: "apprIse" contains "I" for "Inform". "appraIse" ends in "aise" like "raise" (you raise an assessment). APPRAISE is related to APPRAISAL (the valuation document). APPRISE just means "to tell someone something".
Quick rule
Apprise = to inform a person (keep me apprised = keep me informed). Appraise = to evaluate the value of something (appraise a house = assess its value).
Did you know?
"Keep me apprised" and "keep me in the loop" are equivalent expressions in formal and informal professional settings respectively. The first (apprised) is the formal, legalistic form, very common in executive correspondence and military communications. The second ("in the loop") is colloquial and modern, common in startups and informal corporate environments. Both mean: do not exclude me from relevant information.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The project manager asked to be _____ of any delays so she could adjust the timeline accordingly.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Before accepting the inheritance, the family asked a licensed professional to _____ all of the antique furniture.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Apprise = to inform a person (keep me apprised = keep me informed). Appraise = to evaluate the value of something (appraise a house = assess its value).
"Keep me appraised" is a frequent error: it should be "keep me apprised" (informed). "Appraised" in that context implies you have been evaluated or valued, not informed. The test: if the object is a PERSON receiving information, use APPRISE. If the object is a THING whose value or quality is being evaluated, use APPRAISE.
Direct trick: APPRISE = inform/notify a PERSON. APPRAISE = evaluate/value a THING. Memory: "apprIse" contains "I" for "Inform". "appraIse" ends in "aise" like "raise" (you raise an assessment). APPRAISE is related to APPRAISAL (the valuation document). APPRISE just means "to tell someone something".
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy