# appear

> English word · Verb · IPA /əˈpɪə/ · frequency rank #1,475

## Definitions
1. To come or be in sight; to be in view; to become visible.
2. To come before the public.
3. To stand in presence of some authority, tribunal, or superior person, to answer a charge, plead a cause, etc.; to present oneself as a party or advocate before a court, or as a person to be tried.
4. To become visible to the apprehension of the mind; to be known as a subject of observation or comprehension, or as a thing proved; to be obvious or manifest.
5. To seem; to have a certain semblance; to look.
6. To bring into view

## Etymology
From Middle English apperen, aperen, borrowed from Old French aparoir (French apparoir), from Latin appāreō (“to appear”), from ad (“to”) + pāreō (“to come forth, to become visible”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-s- (“watch, see”), s-present of *peh₂- (“protect”).

## Easily confused with
- **append** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/appear-vs-append)
- **appears** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/appear-vs-appears)
- **appease** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/appear-vs-appease)
- **appeared** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/appear-vs-appeared)
- **apnea** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/apnea-vs-appear)
- **appeal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/appeal-vs-appear)
- **appeals** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/appeals-vs-appear)

## Common misspellings (6)
`apear`, `apepar`, `appaer`, `appearr`, `appera`, `papear`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/appear