Appraise means to evaluate or estimate the value, quality, or significance of something. It often implies a careful, systematic judgment, typically for purposes of decision-making or pricing. The verb can be used in professional and everyday contexts when assessing assets, performances, or conditions.
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"The appraiser will appraise the house before listing it for sale."
"She asked the committee to appraise the project’s feasibility and costs."
"He hired a consultant to appraise the equipment’s remaining useful life."
"We need to appraise the evidence before drawing conclusions."
Appraise comes from the Middle English phrase of Old French origin. The root concept is to ‘set a value’ and it developed through compounds involving praise or price in historical usage. The verb likely entered English through the influence of Norman French, combining the idea of valuation with the notion of judging quality. The earliest forms show a sense of determining price or worth, evolving to a broader meaning of judging quality or significance in various contexts. Over time, appraise has commonly aligned with professional valuation practices in property, art, and performance, while retaining its core sense of careful assessment. The word’s semantic development reflects the shift from concrete monetary value to more abstract evaluation in professional and everyday settings. First known uses date back to the late medieval period, with later stabilization in the sense of formal assessment used in commerce, law, and appraisal-related professions.
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Help others use "appraise" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "appraise" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "appraise" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "appraise"
-ise sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Say ap-PRAISE, with primary stress on the second syllable. Phonetically: US/UK/AU: /əˈpreɪz/. Begin with a neutral schwa, raise the vowel into a long A /eɪ/ in the subsequent syllable, then finish with /z/. Your mouth should start relaxed, then glide into a higher, tense position for /eɪ/ before a final /z/. Do not confuse with /ˈæpˌrɛɪz/ or with /ˈæpˌpraɪz/—the key is the primary stress on the second syllable and the long /eɪ/ diphthong.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (saying AP-prize) and mispronouncing the /eɪ/ as a short /e/ (as in ‘ap-raise’ with /e/). Some speakers also mispronounce as /ˈæpɹeɪz/ or confuse with ‘apprise’ (/əˈpraɪz/). Correction: keep the stress on the second syllable: ap-PRAISE, ensure the /eɪ/ is a clear long diphthong starting at mid-to-high tongue height, and end with voiced /z/. Practice the transition from schwa to /ˈpreɪ/ smoothly.
In US/UK/AU, /əˈpreɪz/ remains consistent in many dialects, but rhoticity can affect the preceding schwa’s quality and the perceived stiffness of the vowel in faster speech. Non-rhotic varieties may have a slightly clipped /ə/ before /ˈpreɪz/. Some UK speakers may reduce the first syllable more than US counterparts. The main difference is vowel quality and rhythm rather than a different phoneme set; the stress pattern remains on the second syllable.
The difficulty lies in the /ə/ to /ˈpreɪ/ transition and the long /eɪ/ diphthong, which requires precise tongue height and lip rounding to produce a smooth glide into the /z/. Additionally, many speakers mistake the word for ‘apprise’ with /ˈæpɹaɪz/ or misplace emphasis, leading to awkward cadence. Focus on keeping the second syllable prominent and the /eɪ/ vowel as a single glide.
The key nuance is the near-homophony with ‘apprise’ in many dialects, though they differ in meaning. ‘Appraise’ carries the sense of valuation, while ‘apprise’ means to inform. The pronunciation is almost the same for many speakers, with the distinction mainly in stress and context. Ensure you’re using the right word in professional settings and maintain the second-syllable emphasis to signal valuation.
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