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Differences of Assure, Ensure and Insure in English

Assure, Ensure and Insure are three English words with completely different meanings and usages. In this article, let's explore the concepts and differentiate the three words Assure, Ensure and Insure in English.

Differences of 3 words Assure, Ensure and Insure

I. What is Assure?
II. What is Ensure?
III. What is Insure?
IV. Difference between Assure, Ensure and Insure in English
V. Exercises on differentiating Assure, Ensure and Insure
1. 1. Exercise: Fill in the blanks: Assure or Ensure or Insure (conjugate the verb if necessary)
2. 2. Answers

I. What is Assure?

In English, Assure is pronounced as /əˈʃʊr/ and functions as a verb, meaning: to tell someone confidently that something is true, especially so that they do not worry; to cause something to be certain. For example:

The unions assured the new owners of the workers' loyalty to the company.
Anna assured John that the check was in the mail.

Synonyms of Assure:

Synonyms of Assure	Meaning	Example
Promise /ˈprɑːmɪs/	to tell someone that you will certainly do something	Jack promises that he'll be home before dark.
Guarantee /ˌɡærənˈtiː/	to promise that something will happen or exist	John can't guarantee that the operation will be successful.
Swear /swɛr/	to promise or say firmly that you are telling the truth or that you will do something or behave in a particular way	Anna didn't know what happened, she swore.
Pledge /plɛdʒ/	to make a serious or formal promise to give or do something	We are asking people to pledge their support for our campaign.
Give someone your word /ɡɪv ˈsʌmwʌn jʊr wɜrd/	to promise something	Jennie gave me her word that the job would be finished on time.

II. What is Ensure?

In English, Ensure is pronounced as /ɪnˈʃʊr/ and functions as a verb, meaning: to make something certain to happen. For example:

The airline is taking steps to ensure safety on its aircraft.
The role of the police is to ensure that the law is obeyed.

Synonyms of Ensure:

Synonyms of Ensure	Meaning	Example
Assure /əˈʃʊr/	to cause something to be certain	Jack tried to assure her that everything would be fine.
Make sure /meɪk ʃʊr/	to take action so that you are certain that something happens, is true, etc.	Please make sure to lock the door before you leave.
Warrant /ˈwɒrənt/	to make a particular activity necessary	He's to blame, I'll warrant you.
Make certain /meɪk ˈsɜːrtn/	to take action so that you are certain that something happens, is true, etc	Anna double-checked the schedule to make certain of the meeting time.

III. What is Insure?

In English, Ensure is pronounced as /ɪnˈʃʊr/ and functions as a verb, meaning: to protect yourself against risk by regularly paying a special company that will provide a fixed amount of money if you are killed or injured or if your home or possessions are damaged, destroyed, or stolen; to provide insurance for someone or something; to make something certain, or to be certain about something. For example:

The house is insured for two million dollars.
We had reporters check to insure the accuracy of the story.

Synonyms of Insure:

Synonyms of Insure	Meaning	Example
Obtain insurance for /əbˈteɪn ɪnˈʃʊrəns fɔr/	to buy an insurance policy for	Jack needs to obtain insurance for his new car.
Guarantee against loss/ risk /ˌɡærənˈtiː əˈɡɛnst lɔs/	to make certain something is protected from loss or risk	The policy guarantees against loss due to theft.
Underwrite /ˈʌndərˌraɪt/	to support something that costs money by promising to pay for it, or by promising to pay if necessary to protect others who are risking their money	The bank agreed to underwrite the company's loan for the new project.
Be covered by insurance /bi ˈkʌvəd baɪ ɪnˈʃʊrəns/	protection that is given by an insurance company when it agrees to pay money if a particular thing happens, for example if someone is injured, or property is lost or damaged:	Anna’s medical expenses are covered by insurance.
Secure /sɪˈkjʊr/	to make certain something is protected from danger or risk	They managed to secure a loan for their startup business.

IV. Difference between Assure, Ensure and Insure in English

Below, PREP will help you differentiate the three words Insure, Assure and Ensure. Take a look!

	Assure	Ensure	Insure
Meaning	to tell someone confidently that something is true, especially so that they do not worry	to make something certain to happen	to protect yourself against risk by regularly paying a special company that will provide a fixed amount of money if you are killed or injured or if your home or possessions are damaged, destroyed, or stolen to provide insurance for someone or something
Example	I assure you, we will get to the play on time.	I need to study more to ensure I get a passing grade.	I don’t want to insure my car, but the law says I have to.

V. Exercises on differentiating Assure, Ensure and Insure

To better understand the differences between Assure vs Ensure and Ensure vs Insure, let's complete the exercise below together!

1. Exercise: Fill in the blanks: Assure or Ensure or Insure (conjugate the verb if necessary)

Jack ________ her that he would be home in time for dinner.
The manager ________ the staff that their jobs were secure.
I can ________ you that the project will be completed on schedule.
Please ________ that you have all the necessary documents before the meeting.
The company took steps to ________ the safety of its employees.
You should ________ your car to protect against accidents.
They decided to ________ their home against natural disasters.
It's wise to ________ valuable items like jewelry and electronics.
We must ________ that all the equipment is properly maintained.
They refused to ________ us because they said we're too old.

2. Answers

1 - Assured	2 - Assured	3 - Assure	4 - Ensure	5 - Ensure
6 - Insure	7 - Insure	8 - Insure	9 - Ensure	10 - Insure

PREP has provided an overview of the definitions and differences of 3 words Assure, Ensure and Insure. Keep following PREP to stay updated on more useful English knowledge!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.