Reader’s question: What’s the difference between inquire and enquire and inquiry and enquiry?
Answer: Enquire/enquiry and inquire/inquiry, can be used interchangeably, but inquire and inquiry are the more common forms according to my research. Some people think there are differences in meaning, i.e. inquire means to investigate and enquire means to ask. Maybe that is why an official investigation is called an inquiry.
Pam Peters, in The Cambridge Guide to English Usage, says: ‘Given no consistent ways of differentiating the two spellings, and the fact that differentiation is unnecessary, it makes sense to consolidate the use of one or the other. Inquire and inquiry recommend themselves as the spellings made first among equals by the Oxford Dictionary, and the fact that they are strongly preferred in North America.’
Having done the research, I am sticking to my preferences: enquire for general enquiries, and inquiry for an official investigation.
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