appear and seem share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. appear means “give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect”. seem means “give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect”. seem is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈpɪɹ/
1.v.give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
“She seems to be sleeping”
2.v.come into sight or view
“He suddenly appeared at the wedding”
3.v.be issued or published
“Did your latest book appear yet?”
/ˈsim/
1.v.give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
“She seems to be sleeping”
2.v.seem to be true, probable, or apparent
“It seems that he is very gifted”
3.v.appear to exist
“There seems no reason to go ahead with the project now”
| appear | seem | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈpɪɹ/ | /ˈsim/ |
| Said | uh-PIR | seem |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb | verb |
| Senses | 7 | 4 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | look, seem | look, appear |
Full entry for appear · Full entry for seem · More comparisons