raise

The word “raise” means to move or lift something to a higher position. In plain terms, to lift something up, increase it, bring up a topic, or bring up children — and, as a noun, a pay increase.

“Raise” is pronounced rayz (/ɹeɪz/ in IPA).

Here is “raise” used in a sentence: “Please raise your hand if you have a question.”

Depending on how it is used, “raise” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “raise” comes from Old Norse. From Old Norse reisa, "to erect" or "cause to rise" — the causative partner of the verb "rise".

“Raise” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Raise” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to move or lift something to a higher position.

'Raise' needs an object — you raise something: 'raise your hand,' 'raise the flag.' 'Rise' has no object — something rises by itself: 'the sun rises,' 'prices rise.' In short, you raise a thing, but a thing rises on its own. Raise is transitive; rise is intransitive.

Though they sound alike, they are near opposites. 'Raise' means to lift something up or build it higher. 'Raze' means to tear a building or structure completely down to the ground. So you might raise a house by constructing it, then later raze it during demolition.

Beyond lifting something physically, 'raise' has many senses: to increase an amount ('raise prices'), to bring up a child ('raise a family'), to mention a topic ('raise a question'), to collect money ('raise funds'), and to grow crops or animals. Context tells you which meaning applies.

As a noun, 'raise' commonly means an increase in salary, especially in American English ('she got a raise'). British English often uses 'rise' for this ('a pay rise'). As a verb, raising pay simply means increasing it. The lifting sense and the salary sense share the idea of moving something higher.