What's the difference between Enquiry and Inquiry?

1. Enquiry means asking a question, and inquiry is a formal investigation.2. The prefix ‘en’ comes from French, and ‘in’ from Latin.3. Enquiry is a request for truth, knowledge or information, whereas an inquiry is an investigation into something.4. Enquiry is preferred in British English, whereas the Americans are more comfortable with inquiry.5. In spite of there being a clear distinction in the meanings of the two terms, people often use them interchangeably.

The difference is subtle but there is one; to enquire is to ask a question as in "which way to the train station" he enquired; to inquire is to investigate as in 'the policeman made inquiries'.Enquire- ask a questionInquire- investigate

Agree with the Answer by Mr. Alex Yazouri.

Some regional wise preference make both usage for the mild and strong meaning of it--mainly the seriousness while expressing the subject matter at different contests make a two way direction to the meaning.

Enquiry – a request for information

 

Inquiry – a formal investigation

 

i agree with Bassam Mujammami

In the US, inquiry and enquiry are interchangeable, but be aware that many will consider enquiry to be a spelling mistake of inquiry.

 

In the UK, inquiry and enquiry are interchangeable. However, it is becoming preferable to use inquiry to denote an investigation, and enquiry to denote a question.

 

The nouns enquiry and inquiry can mean question, inquest, or investigation. They can be used interchangeably, but in the US, inquiry is the more widely accepted. The words enquiry and inquiry derive from the verbs to enquire and to inquire. (The guidance on this page relates to the verbs as well as the nouns.)

Not So Simple in the UK.

Examples (UK convention):

I would like to enquire about the toilet facilities in the hotel. (enquire = to ask)

The judge has suspended the inquiry into the police shooting of the escaped mental patient. (inquiry = inquest or investigation)

 

These are two spellings of the same word, which means to seek information about something or to conduct a formal investigation (usually when followed by “into”). The corresponding noun is enquiry or inquiry.

You may designate a query word in any achieved something which indirectly in the sense that Check it out before you begin an example of where you are on that you want to know an easy path takes you to your destination, ask how? And here begins the investigation of any search and edema and verification and verification word borrowed from the investigation. Any research and inquiry. Thank you .