These three verbs are indeed very close in meaning and even native English speakers tend to mix-up ensure and insure—though not often assure.  Assure is notably different from the other two because it usually means “to tell someone that something is certain or true”: I assure you that the work will be done on time.I […]

These two nouns are unrelated, except for their prefix a-, which means “to.” An ascent is a climb, a slope, or any event in which something rises, such as a balloon, or an elevator: The elevator’s ascent halted at the fifth floor and we got out.Her ascent through the company’s ranks to CTO took only a […]

These two nouns are easy to mix-up, even for native speakers, since their meanings are related, yet different—and the grammar of their use also differs: We appraised his coin collection at a value of $200,000.We apprised him of that fact that his coin collection is worth $200,000. As you can see from these examples, to […]

Any one—similarly to any more and any body—simply combines any and one to mean “one”:  Which one of the choices do you want for lunch? I will eat any one of them.Will any one of those dresses fit you? Anyone, in contrast, means “any person” (and is singular): He’s a misanthropist; he doesn’t like anyone.Can […]

These two nouns are completely unrelated. An antidote is a cure (for a problem). Originally, antidote meant only “a substance that counteracts a poison”; however, it can now be used for the cure to any kind of problem. Antidote is probably the easier word to remember because it has anti- in it, which you probably know, means “against” […]