Enquiry vs. inquiry

enquire / enquiry vs inquire / inquiry

In British English there's a subtle difference between enquiry and inquiry, but Americans tend to use inquiry for both, as a result the lines are getting blurred, but generally:-If you enquire about someone or something you ask about them. For example:- She enquired about his health. He was touched by her enquiry.. In British English we use inquiry when we're talking about more official investigations. For example:- She thought the committee had no right to inquire into her politics. There was an inquiry into the death of Ian Tomlinson.