These two nouns are completely unrelated. An auger is a kind of tool used for drilling holes by hand, such as in wood, or the Earth. It has a handle, which turns a screw-like shaft in order to make a hole. Augur, on the other hand, means “a person who tells the future by reading omens” or […]

These two verbs have very similar meanings but must be used quite differently. They both mean “to get (acquire) something”—but while to attain means “to acquire to some status or condition,” or “to achieve,” or “to reach,” to obtain means “to acquire some object or substance”: Attain (achieve a status or condition): If you practice […]

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 […]