Which One is Correct: Enquire or Inquire? When to Use Each?

There aren’t many words that mean the same thing in English but still can be used differently in varied contexts. “Enquire” and “inquire” are two of those relatively rare terms. So, how and when to use the two in your writings?

Both the terms “enquire” and “inquire” mean “to ask”. However, the latter has got a slightly “formal” undertone. In U.S. English, “inquire” is the more commonly used term, both in casual and official texts. In the U.K., “inquire” is used more in official texts. “Enquire” is relegated to informal talks.

Kindly note, there is nothing “American” or “British” about either of these words. It’s just that one gets preferred over the other in specific regions and contexts. Keep reading to learn more about the two terms, their usage, and everything else.

“Enquire” – Definition

The term “enquire” means “to ask”, typically in a casual or friendly manner. The word is believed to have been derived from the Old French term, “enquerre”, which is rooted in “inquirere”. And “inquirere” is the root word for “inquire”.

In the U.S., “enquire” and “enquiry” are considered antiquated variants of “inquire” and “inquiry”. They are, therefore, not as commonly used. This perception or usage pattern, however, doesn’t exist outside of the United States.

“Inquire” – Definition

Like “enquire”, “inquire” also means “to ask” or “to investigate”. As mentioned above, it’s derived from “inquirere”, a Latin word that means “seek”.

Outside of the U.S., the term “inquire” is mostly used in formal conversations or in reference to “police investigations”. The synonyms of the word, therefore, could be “cross-examine”, “grill”, “examine”, “interrogate”, etc. These alternative words are usually not associated with “enquire”.

Unlike most of its synonyms, however, “inquire” implies “searching for truth or facts” by asking questions. Also, unlike “interrogating”, “inquiring” is not necessarily “systematic questioning”. In other words, prosecutors “interrogate” a witness and not “inquire” them.

And as far as comparing “query” and “inquire” is concerned, “query” denotes “the desire for or seeking authoritative confirmation or information”. “Inquire” doesn’t necessarily imply the same.

Using the Word “Enquire” in Texts

Etymologically speaking, “enquire” is not different from “inquire”. However, like “inquire” gets used more in official contexts or investigations, “enquire” or “enquiry” is preferred over “inquire” to denote the sense of “asking”. The following are a few sentences that employ “enquire” in that general sense:

• I enquired her name.
• The first set of inquiries I received were about lost property.

Using “Enquire” in British and American English

As mentioned in one of the above sections, “enquire” is used in less dramatic situations. Also, “enquire” is to the British what “inquire” is to the Americans. It’s used in the U.K. in less formal or more casual conversations. For example:

• She enquired about the hotel’s toilet facilities.

“Enquire” may also get used in business or slightly formal correspondences in the U.K. But since the U.K. predominantly uses “inquire” in business texts, “enquire” doesn’t feature in official communications as much.

Not to mention, “make an enquiry” is a common phrase used in texts, both in the U.S. and the U.K.

Using the Term “Inquire” in Texts

As mentioned above, “inquire” denotes “asking questions to find out the truth”. The term could, therefore, be used in the following example sentences:

• He started to inquire of teachers and friends the career she must pursue.
• We will be inquiring into the incident.
• The lawyers wanted to know when the inquiry would finish.

It’s common to see “inquire” getting used in all kinds of scenarios or contexts in the U.S. In the U.K., Australia, and other countries that follow the U.K. English rule, “inquire” is mostly used in bigger event contexts. In such cases, an “inquiry” could entail several “enquiries”.

The U.S. and U.K Disparity

To reiterate, “inquire” is a lot more commonly used term in the U.S. than “enquire” – irrespective of whether the conversation or communication is “official” or not. For example:

• She went to the place to inquire about the job.
• He visited me last week to inquire about my health.

In the U.K., however, “inquire” is typically used in a lot more formal context. For example:

• They asked Mr. Rodgers to inquire into the issue.

Also, as alluded to above, “inquire” could be used in less formal contexts at times, even in the U.K.

Comparing “Enquire” and “Inquire”

“Enquire” and “inquire” have the same meanings and can be mostly used in lieu of another in texts. For instance, both terms can be used to seek “product price details” or learn more about “the level of corruption in a department”. They both serve as synonyms of each other.

However, based on the region and the context, using “enquire” instead of “inquire” or vice versa may be more appropriate. However, do not use the two terms interchangeably in the same copy or passage as that could be confusing, thanks to how they might get interpreted by readers from different parts of the world.

Also, both terms can be used either as a noun or as a verb. The noun forms are “enquiry” and “inquiry”.

The Confusion Between the Two

As mentioned above, “inquire” is primarily used more than “enquire” in official conversations. Adding to the confusion, some sources online state “enquire” is more common in the U.K. than in the U.S., and that “inquire” is commonly used by Americans. While the latter part of that statement is correct to a great extent, the “enquire” part is debatable.

The Guardian (not explicitly) states “inquire” and “inquiry” are the more common words in the UK than “enquire” and “enquiry”. Therefore, it’s safe to assume “inquire” and “inquiry” are indeed incorporated more in texts by the British.

If you get confused between “enquire” and “inquire”, remember “investigation” begins with “in-” and “inquire” has the same opening letters too.

Besides, do not make the mistake of writing “enquiries” instead of “enquires” – or vice versa. Your spell check will most likely not pick that up.

Adjoining Words

Also, when “inquire” is used formally, it’s likely to be immediately followed with “into” and not “about”. For example:

• A panel was set up to inquire into his activities.

The preposition “about” is used with “inquire” in casual conversations. For example:

• If Tom inquires about her, what do I tell him?
• She was inquiring about the bill.

“About” is usually paired with “enquire”. For example:

• They enquired (were enquiring) about the dates.

“Enquire” is seldom used in conjunction with “into”.

What About Pronunciations? Are They the Same Too?

“Enquire” and “inquire” are technically different sounding terms. However, they sound quite alike in general or when speaking at an average pace. When enunciating with care or speaking slowly, however, the difference in their pronunciations becomes apparent.

Example Sentences with the Term “Enquire”

Though “enquire” is primarily used in regular conversations, it’s okay to use the term in more formal settings. The following sentences, incorporating the word “enquire”, are a mix of both casual and formal texts:

• Enquire about the dog’s exercise and feeding routines.
• I wanted to enquire about my son’s academic performance.
• Make sure you enquire about the business’ exchange and return policies.
• Enquire about ticket discounts beforehand to score the best deal.
• Enquire about the price of the two-week course.
• Please enquire for more details.
• I would like to enquire about the newly launched car.
• Do enquire about their telephone bidding arrangements in advance.
• Kindly enquire whether it will be possible to add the three cities to the tour itinerary.
• Please contact me at the number below to enquire about therapy session bookings.
• I want you to enquire about my lost watch with the hotel management.

Example Sentences with the Word “Inquire”

The following are sentences incorporating the term “inquire” in its different inflections, particularly “inquiry“:

• Kindly inquire about the same at the reception desk.
• I inquired about the jobs available at the store. They had zero openings.
• An inquiry was promised by the commissioner of police.
• The judge suspended the police shooting inquiry.
• A proper inquiry will clear the clouds surrounding the case.
• For the study, she inquired into queueing origins.
• They held an inquiry into the staffing policy.
• The police confirmed receipt of our inquiry.
• The nurse called the day after the surgery to inquire about her health.
• Inquire about the car and its history before making an offer.

Conclusion

Though there are region biases or inclinations, it doesn’t matter much whether you use “enquire” or “inquire” in your texts. As mentioned above, make sure you do not alternate between the two in your texts.

Also, if you are not sure and want your grammar and word selection to be on point, contact the publication you’re writing for and ask them what they think about this “enquire and inquire” debate. If the publishing house is fine with either of the two words, go ahead and choose your pick. But if they do insist, strictly follow the guidelines.

Suppose you’re writing for your own blog or website and want to be absolutely clear in the head about “enquire” and “inquire”. In that case, it’s recommended you use “enquire” when you need answers to general questions and employ “inquire” if you want to denote “digging deep”.