May we ask you a question? Do you know the difference between an ‘enquiry’ and an ‘inquiry’? If not, you’re far from alone, as the words ‘enquire’ and ‘inquire’ cause a lot of confusion.
Both refer to questioning or investigating something. And since they’re only one letter apart, they’re often used interchangeably. There is a distinction, though, so check out our tips below if you want to avoid errors in your work!
To ‘enquire’ is to ask about something (the noun form is ‘enquiry’). The questions at the beginning of this blog post, for example, are enquiries. We could also say something like this:
To enquire about tickets, please phone the box office.
As such, we use ‘enquire’ and ‘enquiry’ for general requests for information.
The verb ‘inquire’ is also used to mean ‘ask about’. On an everyday basis, this is fine. It would not be unusual, for example, to see something like this:
Please ring reception for all membership inquiries.
But this term also has a more specific meaning, referring to a thorough investigation. You should always use this sense of ‘inquire’ when talking about a systematic investigation in formal writing:
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For this study, we will inquire into the origins of queueing.
We will hold an inquiry into our staffing policy.
The important thing is that an ‘inquiry’ is a full and systematic investigation. This includes things such as scientific studies and formal reviews, but not asking a simple question or just looking up information online.
To conduct an ‘inquiry’ based on the questions at the start of this post, for instance, we’d need to create a survey and send it to all of our readers, collate the data and write up the results!
In day-to-day language, these words often mean the same thing, with ‘inquire’ and ‘inquiry’ more common (especially in American English). But in formal writing, it is better to stick to the traditional definitions. Remember:
Enquire = Ask about something or request information
Inquire = Conduct a formal investigation
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