Enquiry and inquiry, dispatch and despatch

[Tippychick]

What are the differences please and how should each one be used? This has been bugging me at work for ages.Thanks pedants

[Nancy66]

I always use Enquiry and Despatch - and both versions of both words are acceptable variables.

DISPATCH takes its origins from the Italian word 'dispacciare' and DESPATCH comes from the Spanish word 'despachar' which both mean to expedite. So I suppose, in this case, you can argue that they are both fine.

Enquire/Inquire comes from the Latin 'quaerere' meaning to seek - again I think both are perfectly acceptable.

[jessia]

But don't they always talk about police INquiries?
maybe Enquire is more query and INquire more like interrogate?
Just musing - no hard evidence on that.
Or maybe it's another one of those US/GB things.

[Tippychick]

It's just down to preference then? I'm sure that someone once told me a rule about enquire/inquire and I've forgotten it. Maybe the English Teacher on that website would like this one to mull over

[branflake81]

I once looked up "inquire/enquire" as was not sure of the difference. Apparently there isn't one - they are interchangeable.