Inquiry vs. Enquiry
There are many words in the English language that have different spellings because of the widespread nature of the language. Spellings that are common in America are not as common in Britain, and vice versa. Let's take a closer look at inquiry and enquiry as an example of this phenomenon.
Inquiry and enquiry are both nouns (verb forms are inquire and enquiry) that have to do with asking for information or investigating facts. Inquiry is more common in the United States and enquiry is more common in Britain. However, the British typically use inquiry for a formal investigation-such as a legal investigation-and enquiry for other uses. In the United States, inquiry is used for all instances.
1. The child's constant inquiry/enquiry amused her mother most of the time, but sometimes, it was too much.
2. The policy opened up an inquiry into the death of the elderly gentleman, but they found that the death was from natural causes.
3. Our class is engaged in an inquiry/enquiry into how clouds are formed and what happens to make rain fall.
4. The small boy said he was in the middle of an inquiry/enquiry into underground life, as he used a shovel to dig a hole and a flashlight to peer into it.
As you can see, either form-inquiry or enquiry-would work in most of these sentences-the only exception is the one about a formal investigation because Americans and Brits both use inquiry for this circumstance. In all other instances, you should choose your usage based on your audience.
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