Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure

The heading might give the creeps for if you might somehow knew the differences of these three words before, you must have forgotten them written together. Assure, ensure and insure are word triplets that are most commonly confused in English language by many writers. These words do not have the same meanings, sounds or spellings but their very close spellings and pronunciation is the root cause of all the confusion we have to face. This article will help you understand each of these words to the core of its meaning making it easy for you to use them in your writing without a second thought.

Assure as verb:

Assure originated from Latin ad- ‘to’ (expressing change) + secures ‘secure’. It is used as a verb to tell someone something positively to dispel any doubts. Tony assured me that there was a supermarket in the village. Making sure of something is also assuring it. She assured herself that he was asleep. Assure also implies to make something certain to happen. Victory is assured to the England team. In British, assure is used as a verb to cover a life by assurance. We guarantee to assure your life. Also, to secure the future payment of an amount with insurance.

The sum assured can be paid as a lump sum.

Ensure as verb:

Originated from Anglo-Norman French enseurer meaning the same as ensure, it is also a verb used to make certain that something will occur or be the case. The client must ensure that accurate records are kept. Ensure is also implied to make certain of obtaining or providing something. The legislation was asked to ensure equal opportunities for all. The word ensure means to make sure that a problem does not occur.

Only by researching stocks thoroughly, can a client ensure against being misled.

Insure as verb:

Insure is another verb that means to arrange for compensation in the event of damage to or loss of property, or injury to or the death of someone, in exchange for regular payments to a company or to the state. The shop was insured for $2500. Securing the payment of an amount in compensation in this way is also called insuring it. Your new sum insured is shown on your renewal notice. It is also implied for providing insurance cover.

Subsidiaries set up to insure the risks of a group of companies.

Insure is used as an alternative term for ensure. It is also used as a verb to secure or protect someone against (a possible contingency).

They appeased Celia so they might insure themselves against further misfortune.

Examples:

And after some hands-on time with the new game, I can assure BioShock fans that they need not fear the change. [Mirror]

Good land, impressive yields, and federal tariff protection ensured profit margins for the antebellum elite. (Technology, Innovation, and Southern Industrialization, Susanna Delfino and Michele Gillespie)

As the artworks gained value over the years, however, so has the cost of insuring them. [CBC]

There are two ways to guarantee privacy: by assuring anonymity and by assuring confidentiality. (Mass Media Research, Roger D. Wimmer, Joseph R. Dominick)

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Friday that the U.S. is “working around the clock” to ensure the safe return of American hostages. (TPM)

The improving mood has been seen in plunging yields on Dubai bonds and in the credit default swaps used to insure against the possibility of the government defaulting. (BDLive)

Assure, ensure or insure:

The three verbs are very much related to each other as all three of them deal with guaranteeing on thing or another. Assurance is the guarantee that something will happen however insurance is the policy that covers up any losses. Ensure and insure are sometimes interchangeable with each other when they both have to do something which guarantees success. In American English, what you insure is a business transaction. What you ensure results from your personal efforts.

Can you assure us that you understood the difference between the three terms?