Apprised or Appraised? Meaning, Difference, and Examples

Apprised and appraised are two English words that look and sound similar, but they have different meanings. Because both words are pronounced with a long “a” sound and differ by only one letter, they are easy to confuse in writing.

The key difference is simple: apprised means informed or told about something, while appraised means examined and evaluated, often to determine quality, condition, performance, or monetary value. Cambridge Dictionary defines apprise as formally telling someone about something, while appraise means examining something or someone to judge qualities, success, needs, or worth.

For example, if your manager tells you about an important change, you have been apprised of the change. If a professional evaluates your house to determine its value, the house has been appraised.

Understanding this distinction will help you choose the correct word in emails, business writing, school assignments, and everyday American English.

Apprised Meaning in American English

Apprised is the past tense and past participle of apprise. It means informed, notified, or told about something. The word is formal and is commonly used in the expression “be apprised of.”

When someone is apprised of a situation, they receive information about it. The focus is on communication and awareness, not evaluation.

Examples of Apprised

• The manager was apprised of the changes to the schedule.
• The parents were apprised of the school’s new safety procedures.
• Please keep me apprised of any developments.
• The board was quickly apprised of the financial situation.
• The employees were apprised of the new company policy.

The phrase “keep someone apprised of” is especially useful in formal American English. It means to keep someone informed about continuing developments.

For example:

Please keep me apprised of any changes to the project.

In this sentence, the speaker wants to receive updates. No evaluation or monetary judgment is involved.

Appraised Meaning in American English

Appraised is the past tense and past participle of appraise. It means examined, evaluated, or judged for quality, condition, performance, or value. In American English, appraise can also mean to determine the monetary worth of something.

The word is common in contexts involving real estate, jewelry, antiques, artwork, employee performance, and careful evaluation.

For example:

• The house was appraised at $425,000.
• An expert appraised the antique painting.
• The jeweler appraised the diamond ring.
• Her supervisor appraised her performance.
• The committee appraised the risks before making a decision.

An appraisal is the noun form related to appraise. It can refer to an evaluation or an estimate of value. In the workplace, a performance appraisal is an evaluation of an employee’s work and progress.

Appraised in Real Estate

One common American English use of appraised relates to property value.

For example:

The property was appraised at $500,000.

Here, appraised means that the property’s value was professionally evaluated.

Appraised in the Workplace

The word can also describe an evaluation of someone’s work.

For example:

The supervisor appraised the employee’s performance at the end of the year.

In this context, appraised means evaluated or assessed.

Apprised vs. Appraised Comparison

Word	Meaning	Main Idea	Example
Apprised	Informed or notified	Giving information	We were apprised of the changes.
Appraised	Examined or evaluated	Judging or determining value	The house was appraised at $400,000.

The easiest distinction is:

Apprised = informed

Appraised = evaluated or valued

If someone apprises you, they give you information.

If someone appraises something, they examine or evaluate it.

Notice the different vowel sound in the middle when spoken:

• apprised: /əˈpraɪzd/
• appraised: /əˈpreɪzd/

Although the spelling is similar, the pronunciation is different. Cambridge gives the U.S. pronunciation of apprise as /əˈpraɪz/ and appraise as /əˈpreɪz/.

Apprised and Appraised in Common American English Sentences

Seeing the words in context makes the difference easier to understand.

Examples With Apprised

1. The staff was apprised of the new office policy.
2. Please keep me apprised of the project’s progress.
3. The attorney was apprised of the latest developments.
4. The residents were apprised of the planned road closure.
5. The director was immediately apprised of the problem.
6. We were apprised of the changes before the meeting.
7. The customer was apprised of the possible delay.
8. The team leader kept everyone apprised of the situation.

In each example, the word relates to information or communication.

Examples With Appraised

1. The realtor said the house had been appraised at $375,000.
2. The jeweler appraised the necklace before it was insured.
3. The expert appraised the painting for the auction.
4. The manager appraised the employee’s performance.
5. The bank required the property to be appraised.
6. The collector had the rare coin appraised.
7. The committee appraised the project’s potential risks.
8. The insurance company requested that the artwork be appraised.

In these examples, the word relates to evaluation, judgment, examination, or value.

Common Mistakes With Apprised and Appraised

The most common mistake is using appraised when the intended meaning is “informed.”

For example:

Incorrect:
The employees were appraised of the new policy.

Correct:
The employees were apprised of the new policy.

The employees were given information, so apprised is the correct word.

Another common mistake is using apprised when something has been evaluated for value.

Incorrect:
The house was apprised at $450,000.

Correct:
The house was appraised at $450,000.

The house was evaluated to determine its monetary value, so appraised is correct.

A useful test is to ask what happened.

If someone received information, use apprised.

If something was examined or evaluated, use appraised.

Apprised of vs. Appraised at

The preposition that follows the word can also provide a useful clue.

Apprised of is a common construction:

She was apprised of the situation.

Appraised at is common when talking about monetary value:

The painting was appraised at $20,000.

The patterns are not absolute rules for every sentence, but they are helpful clues when you are deciding which word fits.

How to Remember the Difference

A simple memory trick can make these words much easier to remember.

Think of apprised as being connected with information.

Apprised = informed

For example:

I was apprised of the changes.

You were given information.

For appraised, think about an appraisal.

An appraisal evaluates something, such as a house, piece of jewelry, artwork, or employee performance.

Appraised = evaluated

For example:

The house was appraised at $400,000.

The property’s value was evaluated.

You can also remember the difference through two short questions:

Did someone tell you something?
Use apprised.

Did someone evaluate something?
Use appraised.

Quick Memory Examples

Apprised:
The teacher apprised the parents of the change.

Meaning: The teacher informed the parents.

Appraised:
The expert appraised the painting.

Meaning: The expert evaluated the painting.

Once you connect apprised with information and appraised with evaluation, the difference becomes much easier to remember.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Final Takeaway

Apprised and appraised are not interchangeable.

Apprised means informed or notified, and it is often used in the phrase “apprised of.”

Appraised means examined, evaluated, or judged, including determining the monetary value of something.

Remember:

Apprised = informed
Appraised = evaluated or valued

If someone keeps you apprised, they keep you informed. If someone has your home, jewelry, artwork, or performance appraised, they are evaluating it.