How to decide between "raise" and "rise"

Is there a difference between "raise" and "rise" in English? There is! While both refer to upward movement, their usage is different. Let's break it down.

Raise

The verb "raise" is a transitive verb, which means it requires a direct object to complete its meaning. The action of raising is not complete without something being acted upon. Take a look at the following examples:

"Raise your glass for a toast."

"Can we raise the stakes?"

"The company decided to raise salaries this year."

The verb "raise" is used to tell that something is being lifted up, elevated, or increased by an external force or action. When you use "raise," it's essential to specify what is being raised.

"Please raise your voice; I can't hear you."

"Can you raise the window a bit?"

"Let's raise awareness about this issue."

"The teacher asked the students to raise their hands."

Rise

The verb "rise" is classified as an intransitive verb. This means it does not require a direct object to complete its action. The verb "rise" describes an autonomous or self-initiated upward movement or increase. For instance:

"I love to watch the sun rise at dawn."

"That bread dough needs time to rise."

"He will rise from his chair to greet you."

"Prices tend to rise during periods of inflation."

Unlike "raise," which needs something or someone to perform the action of lifting or increasing, "rise" indicates that the subject of the sentence is elevating or increasing by itself or themselves.

"The water level will rise with the tide."

"The athlete rose to the challenge impressively."

"Birds rise into the air gracefully."

Learn more about "raise" and "rise" in our Daily Dose of Denglisch Docs video series.