Assure vs Ensure Definitions ‘Assure’ (verb) means ‘declare something with certainty or confidence’. ‘Ensure’ (verb) means ‘make something certain to happen or exist’. What’s the difference between ‘assure’ and ‘ensure’? It is easy to see how these two words can be confused, and indeed they often are. Not only do they look and sound alike, …
Inverse vs Reverse Definitions ‘Inverse’ (adj) means ‘opposite in relation to something else’ (e.g. in position, direction, order, effect, etc). ‘Reverse’ (adj) means ‘going in or turned towards the direction opposite to something else’. What’s the difference between ‘inverse’ and ‘reverse’? Despite being very similar in meaning, these words tend to be used in different …
Practice vs Practise Definitions ‘Practice’ (verb) means ‘carry out or perform an activity on a regular basis’ (US spelling). ‘Practise’ (verb) means ‘carry out or perform an activity on a regular basis’ (UK spelling). What’s the difference between ‘practice’ and ‘practise’? There is no difference in meaning between these two verbs. The only difference is …
Consist in vs Consist of Definitions ‘Consist in’ (verb) means ‘have something as an essential part, quality or function’. ‘Consist of’ (verb) means ‘be composed or made up of’. What’s the difference between ‘consist in’ and ‘consist of’? This has to be one of the most challenging distinctions in the English language. Here the verb …
Ensure vs Insure Definitions ‘Ensure’ (verb) means ‘make something certain to happen’. ‘Insure’ (verb) means ‘protect something (or somebody) against risk’. What’s the difference between ‘ensure’ and ‘insure’? Not only do these words look similar, but they also sound similar. They are frequently confused in writing, including in academic texts. A tip to distinguish them …
Relation vs Relationship Definitions ‘Relation’ (noun) refers to the way in which two or more people, organizations, countries, etc, are connected. ‘Relationship’ (noun) refers to the way in which two or more things or factors are connected or influencing each other. What’s the difference between ‘relation’ and ‘relationship’? These two words are very similar in …
Number vs Amount Definitions ‘Number’ (noun) refers to a value representing a particular quantity of something. ‘Amount’ (noun) refers to the quantity, size, or extent of something. What’s the difference between ‘number’ and ‘amount’? These two words have meanings that are essentially the same: referring to the quantity of something. What distinguishes them is what …
Significant vs Important Definitions ‘Significant’ (adj) means ‘sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention; noteworthy’. ‘Important’ (adj) means ‘of great significance or value; having great effect or influence’. What’s the difference between ‘significant’ and ‘important’? These two words have very similar meanings, but should be used carefully in academic writing. While ‘important’ can …
Elicit vs Illicit Definitions ‘Elicit’ (verb) means ‘to cause or provoke a response or outcome’. ‘Illicit’ (adj) refers to something illegal or not permitted. What’s the difference between ‘elicit’ and ‘illicit’? Because they look and sound similar, these two words are easily confused. However they are very different. First, they are not semantically related (as …
Moral vs Morale Definitions ‘Moral’ (noun) refers to the lesson or message that can be learned from something. ‘Morale’ (noun) refers to the emotional or psychological state of mind of a person or group. What’s the difference between ‘moral’ and ‘morale’? As they differ by just one letter, it can be easy to confuse these …
