apprise

/əˈpɹaɪz/

//əˈpɹaɪz// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"apprise" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“apprise” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make (someone or oneself) aware of some information; to inform, to notify.

Corpus desk

Index EN-apprise · apprise · English

apprise · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for apprise
PropertyValue
Headwordapprise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈpɹaɪz/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “apprise” sits in English frequency

appriseranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

apprise is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /əˈpɹaɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

apprise has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *h₂éd Borrowed from French appris, apprise, the past participle form of apprendre (“to learn; to teach”), from Middle French apprendre, aprendre (“to learn”), from Old French aprendre, aprandre (“to learn; to educate, teach”), from Latin apprēnder… The correct English form is apprise, spelled A-P-P-R-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make (someone or oneself) aware of some information; to inform, to notify.
  2. 2
    To formally impart (information) to someone; to advise, to notify.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how apprise appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The ears apprise the brain of sound.
  2. [I]n general, he reſolve to Govern vvell: And […] Throughly and rightly to appriſe himſelf of that Principle that is the Soul of the Government; […]

Etymology

PIE word *h₂éd Borrowed from French appris, apprise, the past participle form of apprendre (“to learn; to teach”), from Middle French apprendre, aprendre (“to learn”), from Old French aprendre, aprandre (“to learn; to educate, teach”), from Latin apprēndere, a variant of apprehendere, adprehendere, the present active infinitives of apprehendō, adprehendō (“to lay hold upon, grab, grasp, seize, take; to apprehend, arrest; to grasp with the mind, comprehend, understand; (Medieval Latin) to learn; to inform; to teach”), from ad- (prefix meaning ‘to; towards’) + prehendō (“to lay hold of, grab, grasp, seize, take; (figuratively, rare) of the mind: to apprehend, comprehend, grasp, seize”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- (“to find; to hold; to seize, take”)). Doublet of apprehend.

This word in other languages

avisar(Español)benachrichtigen(Deutsch)avisar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "apprise"?
"apprise" is spelled A-P-P-R-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈpɹaɪz/.
What does "apprise" mean?
As a verb, "apprise" means: To make (someone or oneself) aware of some information; to inform, to notify.
How do you pronounce "apprise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "apprise" is /əˈpɹaɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "apprise"?
PIE word *h₂éd Borrowed from French appris, apprise, the past participle form of apprendre (“to learn; to teach”), from Middle French apprendre, aprendre (“to learn”), from Old French aprendre, aprandre (“to learn; to educate, teach”), from Latin... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

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Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list