Dec 19, 2016 the terms enquiry and inquiry are considered to be different spellings of the same word. However, in the us, inquiry is more widely used than enquiry to the extent that many will consider enquiry a spelling mistake of inquiry. I will use each in a sentence, and i will show you a helpful trick to use when you cant decide whether you mean grammer or grammar. In britain, inquiry and enquiry are interchangeable, but inquiry usually means an investigation and enquiry usually means a question. The traditional distinction between the verbs enquire and inquire is that enquire is to be used for general senses of ask, while inquire is reserved for uses meaning make a formal investigation. Learn the translation for enquiry in leo s english. More accurately, inquiry is the us version and enquiry is the form more frequently used in the uk. If you want the dictionary definition, just double click on any word.
In this article, i will compare the words grammar vs. Enquiry definition of enquiry by the free dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. We need to set up a commission to inquire into politicians pensions. And newspapers tend to just use the i version for everything. Also the word inquiry is formal while enquiry is informal in nature. Youve touched on a usage method common throughout uk, australia and new zealand. The main difference lies between their common usage in british english and american english. Whether we like it or not, much of our language is now heavily influenced by american english spellings. So that isnt the same meaning and is always with an i.
In american english, inquiry and enquiry are used interchangeably, with inquiry being the preferred option. Writing mistakes that content creators commonly make. In the uk, the two words are used interchangeably, although inquire is still the more commonly used word for formal or official investigations. You purchase an insurance policy to insure yourself. Jan 16, 2009 mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language, including the new york times bestseller grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing. Her bookpart memoir, part critical inquiry touching on desire, love, and familyis a superb exploration of the risk and the excitement of change. However, many british grammar books now say that if you cant decide between the two words, go with inquire. Difference between inquiry and enquiry compare the. You may be wondering, does he like grammar or love the grammar girl. Written with the wit, warmth, and accessibility that the podcasts are known for, grammar girl s quick and dirty tips for better writing covers the grammar rules and wordchoice guidelines that can confound even the best writers.
Examples british style are the police going to inquire into the accident. Enquiry long story short, the first letter is only different according to the region where you are spelling these words. These two words, however, have traditionally been used in a slightly different way, at least in the uk, which kind of makes them a pair of commonly confused words. Written with the wit, warmth, and accessibility that the grammar girl podcasts are known for, grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing covers grammar rules and wordchoice guidelines that can confound even the best writers. Mar 21, 2011 inquiry vs enquiry getting to know the difference between inquiry and enquiry becomes important due to the fact that inquiry and enquiry fall under the words in english language that connote almost similar meanings. Whether english is your first language or second language, grammar girls punctuation, style, and. Both terms are nouns used to refer to an act of asking for information or an official investigation. Books similar to grammar girls quick and dirty tips for. Millions of people around the world communicate better thanks to mignon fogarty, aka grammar girl, whose toprated weekly grammar podcast has been downloaded more than 30 million times.
There are so many words in english that are either so similar to each other in spelling and pronunciation or their meanings are so close to each other that its almost impossible to tell them apart. What is the difference between grammar and grammer. Enquiry means to ask a question, and inquiry is a formal investigation. However, in the uk the word inquiry denotes an investigation, while the word enquiry refers to a question asked. Definition of inquiry noun in oxford advanced american dictionary. Definition of inquire verb in oxford advanced american dictionary. The terms enquiry and inquiry are considered to be different spellings of the same word.
Enquiry and inquiry the nouns enquiry and inquiry can mean question, inquest, or investigation. Because enquiry and inquiry are actually defined with the same definition, it would have been more appropriote to use color vs. To book a lecture event with mignon fogarty for your company or organization. From between vs among and although vs while to comma splices and misplaced modifiers, this. There is always the difficulty of recognising american english spellings and british english spellings with words like these. The difference between enquiry and inquiry grammar lesson. They have almost identical meanings and come from similar root words but understanding the subtlety of the differences between inquiry and enquiry is important and will make your writing look more elegant. Essentially, enquiry and inquiry have the same meaning they both mean to request information about something or to carry out a formal investigation. In general, use onto as one word to mean on top of, to a position on, upon.
Mar 21, 2011 in britain, inquiry is used to indicate official investigations. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing. Enquiry replies are key element when you are selling any property belfast telegraph manchester united transfer news. Traditionally, enquire simply meant ask, while inquire was used for formal investigations. These days, the two terms are often used interchangeably.
Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing trade paperback. She is an inductee in the podcasting hall of fame, and the show is a fivetime winner of best education podcast in the podcast awards. Also there is a difference between the origins of the prefixes of the words. Using play to build literacy in young learners by anne burke, asking better questions. Word choice enquire versus inquire ontario training. Essentially both carry pretty much the same connotation, however a distinction is made only in british english where enqu. She inquired about the librarys rare books collection. What is the difference between enquiry and inquiry. Enquiry meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage. Inquiry meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. Grammarly can save you from misspellings, grammatical and punctuation.
Difference between enquiry and inquiry difference between. In general parlance, it is understood that enquire is to be used for asking, while inquire is what constitutes making a formal investigation. For the most part, you can use either enquire or inquire and not make a mistake. May 21, 20 the simple difference between the word enquiry and inquiry. In its traditional sense, enquiry and its corresponding verb form enquire are used for the general sense ask. Inquire and enquire are not used in the same way in american english and. Check out these two examples from tom sants book persuasive.
With nounverb tables for the different cases and tenses links to audio pronunciation and relevant forum discussions free vocabulary trainer. Five grammatical errors that make you look dumb copyblogger. From cambridge english corpus bioethics really started as an inquiry into the largely uncontrolled practices, habits, and proceedings of the medical structure and profession. With nounverb tables for the different cases and tenses links to audio pronunciation and. Inquiry and enquiry are two of the most commonly confused words in english.
No need exhausting weary synapses firing those inquisitive neurons. Smashing grammar 2019 written by the founder of grammar monster, smashing grammar includes a glossary of grammar. In the united states, inquire is the strongly preferred spelling in all uses. Go and check it out before you book talk to management and staff, look at. Find books like grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing from the worlds largest community of readers. Grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing by. As these words connote almost similar meanings, people use them almost interchangeably. Grammar girl explains which one is proper and provides some. Oh, inquiry and enquiry, the continuous struggle over which to use, and what is the difference, especially when learning english. The first enquiry in my inbox today was about lost property. The nouns enquiry and inquiry can mean question, inquest, or investigation.
Outside of specific professional or academic contexts, writing with a personal style. According to the grammar monster entry on inquiry vs enquiry, in both the usa and uk they are interchangeable words. Jun 23, 2014 whats the difference between inquire and enquire. In america, inquiry and enquiry are interchangeable, but many will think enquiry a spelling mistake of inquiry. After realizing her fans were asking the same questions over and over, mignon decided to focus her attention on those words that continuously confound the masses. Inquiry has a formal and official ring to it, while enquiry is informal in its connotation. While the term inquiry means formal investigation, the term enquiry indicates that someone is asking a question. Hi, i am not sure which is the correct word to use after enquiry when we phrase the subject for an email. Nov 14, 2012 in the email subject line should the artist type artist inquiry or artist enquiry. Either spelling can be used, but many people prefer enquire and enquiry for the general sense of ask, and inquire and inquiry for a formal investigation. Where the two are used for the same purposes, inquire is the more common form. This extends to derivative words inquiry, inquirer, etc. First, of all, they are both strong words that are much more advanced and higherlevel vocabulary in place of lowerlevel words, such as looking or asking, so its great to put them in practice in your everyday language. In british english theres a subtle difference between enquiry and inquiry, but americans tend to use inquiry for both, as a result the lines are getting blurred, but generally.