What is the difference between insuring and ensuring

Yet, similar does not mean they can be used interchangeably. With all the debates on the Oxford comma and which grammar rules are still worth following, homophones confusions are generally cleared up without much debate. Insure means to take measures or precautions to guarantee it will protect something if something happens.

To ensure you understand when to use ensure vs. Giving multiple examples ensures greater understanding. I know many people who pay to insure their travel plans to avoid fees due to cancellations. Did you notice the difference in usage of ensures vs. That can get tricky. We do this to ensure the best possible results.

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Assure is something you would do to a person or an animal. These beings can have doubts or insecurities you can remove by assuring them, by giving them assurance :. I assure you, we will get to the play on time. In the United Kingdom and other countries of the Commonwealth, the word assurance can also refer to a particular type of insurance :. I need to study more to ensure I get a passing grade. He scored thirty-five points last night, ensuring that his team will have a place in the finals.

Language changes over time. OK, OK maybe modern usage demands that these words are interchangeable. I hate to see some of these distinctions lost, simply because we then lose the interest of using them literally for the fun of it. We understand what you are trying to do with your sentence, Bryan. Unfortunately, insuring your car does not necessarily ensure your safety.

It does help ensure that costs for damages to property and persons are covered. Words like everything else evolve over time. The definition of a word is in the context and usage. Meaning that the way that a word is used in a sentence can change the meaning of the word over time. Or add an additional definition to the word. This was a great help for me as I needed to put the correct term in my resume. Our blog Assure vs. Since you want to know that the updates will be made, rather than just promised to be made, ensure is a better word.

Take a look at the New York Times headline this morning Aug. The headline is correct. Obama said that he wants to ensure the continued availablity of mortgages. In most cases ensure is going to be the right word. I am afraid that on this one issue, I must beg to disagree.

In the UK, people distinguish between these words in their pronunciation and in their writing. This is assuring for it ensures a level of insurance against the confusions that are more common regarding these words in the U.

These sorts of changes in language are always occurring. Thank you for the information regarding the use of the English language in the UK. Our website emphasizes American English and leans towards usage rules in the Chicago Manual of Style. A more complete definition of insure would be to protect from loss, not only to cover with an insurance policy, while ensure is to make certain. The use by the NRA is correct. They must constantly organize and act to ensure their rights against greed, corruption, incompetence, apathy, and ….

I have often been told that the word tips was derived from the words To Insure Prompt Service. Do you have any insight on the background of this word? Also, in this context should the word be ensure? Another good source for these sorts of questions is the Online Etymology Dictionary. But it is Quality Assurance.

What do you think? You are correct that assure is more about saying than doing and ensure is more about doing what is necessary to achieve that assurance. Since this document deals with quality assurance and the word assurance implies a promise, it is not surprising that the company chose the word assure. But assurance is about communicating confidence.

How can a walk-through communicate? I think Quality Assurance should be Quality Ensurance, but ensurance is an obselete word, as you mention in a later post. By the way, Quality Control is something else. While assuring is more about saying than doing, saying is not the only method. There is also a place for non-verbal communication in providing assurance. Please review the United States Constitution where insure is used frequently. You are correct.

On the topic of ensure vs. Yes, your phrases both demonstrate correct uses of the words ensure and assure. According to this definition, the US Constitution is wrong. That usage is pretty common in business and software environments, with companies even using that construction in their names as well. The use of insure seemed odd to me which brought me here.

This is an old-school usage of insure that The New Yorker also employs. In our opinion, it can cause confusion. If you monitor future rulemakings, during the public comment period you might inquire as to what kind of insurance they are offering. I believe their intent is to convey that joining the NRA helps provide a level of insurance that your gun rights will be protected. Thank you for presenting clarification for us information seekers wishing to keep this a literary competent world.

I came to this site after I questioned how I used assure in a post. I am still confused and my post was; I thought I was being helpful and it would assure the help showed up. From what we can tell, we think you meant: I thought I was being helpful, which would ensure the help showed up. The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary notes that the word ensurance is an obsolete word meaning insurance.

We no longer use this word in the English language. Therefore, there is no noun related to ensure. Obviously, there is a difference between ensure and assure. Leave a Comment or Question: Cancel reply. Please ensure that your question or comment relates to the topic of the blog post. Unrelated comments may be deleted. If necessary, use the "Search" box on the right side of the page to find a post closely related to your question or comment.

Your email address will not be published. Insure The three words, assure , ensure , and insure , are often confused. Pop Quiz Choose the correct word in each sentence. Scroll down to view answers. Pop Quiz Answers 1. I assure you that I have been honest about the money I spent. I will insure my car as required by law. Josh says:. September 25, , at pm. Jane says:.

Mark says:. September 30, , at pm. October 2, , at pm. Sylvie says:. February 19, , at pm. February 24, , at pm. Thomas Hollander says:. October 27, , at pm. October 28, , at am. MikeyD says:. January 31, , at pm. February 2, , at pm. Lee says:. July 5, , at am. July 8, , at am. Randall says:. August 26, , at am. Troy says:. October 29, , at pm. Jennifer says:. February 24, , at am. February 25, , at pm. Sam Wright says:. March 14, , at am.

March 15, , at am. March 23, , at am. March 24, , at pm. Russ says:.