Ensure v Insure (+Assure). Which is right?
Below is a transcript of the video.
Ensure, insure and assure - which to use and when?
Ensure with an e. Use this word to mean “make sure or certain” or to “guarantee”, as in:
We need to leave now to ensure we catch the train.
Insure with an i. If you’re in the UK, only use this word when you’re talking about insurance - that’s the financial product that will pay you money if something bad happens, as in:
I need to insure my house against burglary.
If you’re in the US, ensure with an e can be replaced with insure with an i. As in:
We need to leave now to insure we catch the Greyhound bus.
Assure. Use this when you’re talking about making someone feel sure or confident about something. As in:
She assured me she could do the job.
Here’s another way to look at it:
Broadly, use insure of an object - something you want to protect with insurance.
Use ensure of an outcome - something you want to make happen.
And use assure of a person - someone whose mind you want to put at ease.
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