Assure vs Ensure – Difference and Comparison

What is Assure?

The word assure is defined as giving somebody confidence about something. It can also mean making sure that something will happen or be true. In business, assure is used interchangeably with the word guarantee. When a company assures its customers of something, it promises an inevitable outcome.

Assure is defined as stating or declaring with confidence, as giving someone assurances or to make certain sure. It can also be used in the sense of insuring or securing. For example, assurance is used in business to assure customers or employees.

When a company assures their customers, they are promising that its product or service will meet specific standards. Assure is a term that is used in business. It can refer to assurances a company gives its customers or assurances given to employees.

The word, Assure, is defined as giving someone confidence or removing their doubts. It can also mean making something specific happen. For example, a company may assure their customers that its product will be delivered on time.

What is Ensure?

The word ensures comes from the Old French word assurer, which comes from the Latin word ad + Securus, meaning “to make safe.” Ensure means “to make certain of” or “to guarantee.” In other words, to ensure is to make sure that something will happen or is true. Ensure and assure are confused because they come from the same Latin root, Securus, and have similar definitions.

Word ‘ensure’ is defined as making sure that (something) will occur or be the case. It can be used to give assurance to someone. For example, I ensure you that I will be there on time. It can also mean to make something secure or to insure something. In modern usage, it is most seen as a transitive verb meaning to cause something to happen. When something is ensured, it is made sure to occur.

Ensure means to make sure or to guarantee. The word ensure is used as a replacement for make sure. When you ensure something, you make it specific. When you make sure of something, you check to see that it is inevitable.

Difference Between Assure and Ensure

There is confusion between the words assure and ensure because they come from the same Latin root, Securus, and have similar definitions. Both words can mean to make sure of or to guarantee. In other words, to ensure is to make sure that something will happen or is true. The main difference between the two words is that ensure always used as a transitive verb, meaning that it requires an object, whereas assure does not.

Assure means to tell someone that something is specific. Ensure means to make sure of something. Assure means to protect against loss.

The main difference between ensure and assure is that ensure means to make sure that something will occur or be the case, while assuring means to give someone confidence about something. In addition, ensure is mainly used as a transitive verb, while assure can be used both as a transitive and an intransitive verb. Moreover, ensure is a formal word while assure is not. Finally, ensure is used in American English, while assure is used in British English.

Comparison Between Assure and Ensure

Parameter of Comparison  AssureEnsure
MeansThe verb assures means to pledge to someone else to relieve their concerns, persuade them, or win their trust.We use the word ensure when we guarantee that something will or will not happen in any circumstance.
Discusses Condition  PersonCondition/Situation
Purpose of Usage  To urge someone, relieve their concerns, or persuade them to make a commitment.To confirm something, to make it specific, or to offer confirmation.  
ExamplesYou will be OK by Monday morning, I promise.The traffic police ensure that everyone abides by the regulations of the road.

 References

  1. https://books.google.com.pk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=vPdgBgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP10&dq=difference+between+the+word+assure+and+ensure+american+british+language&ots=YfJ48FpIL6&sig=BA11X5K_hRNEWfT2yU32eJTtk5U&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
  2. http://ecommerce-prod.mheducation.com.s3.amazonaws.com/unitas/school/explore/research/di-rethinking-el-instruction.pdf