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Which one to use?Intermediateverboverbo
GrowvsRaise
"Grow" is to increase or develop naturally; "raise" is to bring up or cause growth in something else.
Side-by-side comparison
Grow
verboTo increase in size, mature, or develop. Intransitive, the subject grows on its own.
Children grow so fast. I cannot believe how tall she is now.
The company grew 40% in its second year.
He grew up in a small town in Mexico.
Raise
verboTo bring up, nurture, or cause something to increase. Transitive, the subject causes growth in another.
She raised three children on her own after the divorce.
The government raised the minimum wage this year.
Can you raise your hand if you have a question?
Common mistake
- •"My parents grew me" is wrong: parents do not "grow" you, they raise you. Correct: "My parents raised me." You grow on your own; they raise you.
- •"Raise" always needs a direct object: raise + [something/someone].
Trick to remember it
- •Who is in control? If something grows on its own (plant, child, company): "grow" (intransitive).
- •If someone makes something/someone grow (parent, farmer): "raise" (transitive, needs object).
Quick rule
- •"Grow" = grow on its own (intransitive).
- •"Raise" = make something/someone grow (transitive, needs object).
Did you know?
In American English you "raise children," but in classical British English the verb was "rear children": "rear" has the same root as "rear end," related to the concept of the back where offspring come from. Today "raise" is universal in both varieties for bringing up children, but "rear" survives in expressions like "rear admiral" and in animal breeding language. In modern formal English, "rear" for raising children sounds quite old-fashioned. Interestingly, "grow" is the only option for cultivating plants, you can "raise" a garden but you "grow" the individual plants in it.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She _____ s tomatoes and herbs in her back garden every summer.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Her grandparents _____ d chickens on their farm. There were about fifty of them.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
GetvsBecome
"Get" signals an informal or quick change; "become" signals a formal or gradual one.
LayvsLie
'Lay' is transitive (to place something); 'lie' is intransitive (to recline, no direct object needed).
RisevsRaise
One rises by itself, the other you raise with your own effort.
AbovevsOver
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy