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 #2 (permalink) Tue Sep 16, 2008 12:19 pm ensurance or assurance |
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| The difference is that "ensurance" is so unusual that it is not in most English dictionaries. We never use it. |
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Jamie (K)
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Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6646
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| #3 (permalink) Tue Sep 23, 2008 18:41 pm ensurance or assurance |
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Hi Jamie,
I have two other questions about this:
1. What about the difference between 'assure' and 'ensure'?
2. In AmE, 'insure' doesn't just mean 'to protect yourself against risk by regularly paying a special company that will provide a fixed amount of money if you are killed or injured or if your home or possessions are damaged, destroyed or stolen', but it can also mean 'to make something certain to happen', right?
2. 'Insure' and 'ensure' are pronounced identically, aren't they? So what is the correct pronunciation of them in BrE and AmE?
(Here is what I found in the Cambridge Dictionary:
| Quote: |
ensure/insure:
/ɪnˈʃɔːʳ/ US /-ˈʃʊr/
assure:
/əˈʃɔːʳ/ US /-ˈʃɝː/ |
And here is what I found in the Longman Dictionary:
[quote]ensure/insure:
/ɪnˈʃuə US -ˈʃyour/
assure:
/əˈʃuə US əˈʃyour/[quote]
=> These two dictionaries seems so contradictory, and when I looked up in other dictionaries, here is what I found in the Oxford Learner's Pocket Dictionary:
| Quote: |
ensure /ɪnˈʃuə; ɪnˈʃɔːʳ/
insure /ɪnˈʃɔːʳ/ (but not /ɪnˈʃuə/ |
Thus I'm so confused... +_+
Please shed some light on this.
Many thanks,
Nessie.
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 Nessie
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| #4 (permalink) Thu Oct 02, 2008 18:15 pm ensurance or assurance |
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Could anybody please help me with this?
Many thanks,
Nessie.
_________________
:(... something we never have again, I know... I guess I really really know.. :(
Sorry seems to be the hardest word... |
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Nessie
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Feb 2008
Posts: 1102
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| #5 (permalink) Thu Nov 03, 2011 19:56 pm when to use ensurance or assurance |
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ensurance is a form of the word ensure, but it is not commonly used that way. In fact, the word ensurance is not even in the dictionary.
The best we can tell through researching this, it's a word that was utterly made up in the 1990's by a web-based company called ensurance.com as a way to identify "electronic insurance" much the same way we use the word email to signify "electronic mail."
Assurance is the correct word you are looking for when trying to use correct English grammer. Ensurance would not be the correct use of English grammer.
I hope this helps differentiate the two words for you. |
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El_Guru
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Joined: 03 Nov 2011
Posts: 2
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| #6 (permalink) Thu Nov 03, 2011 21:08 pm Re: ensurance or assurance |
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| Sophie wrote: |
Hi !
Could you please explain the difference between "ensurance" and "assurance"?
I don't know why we use "assurance", not "insurance" in this sentence:
He gave me his personal ASSURANCE that his draft would be ready by Friday.
Thank you in advance. |
'Insurance' is something providing protection against something.
'Assurance' is a certainty about something.
His personal assurance - he made a commitment to make the provision of the draft a certainty.
'ensurance' has already been commented upon.
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Beeesneees
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Posts: 20393
Location: UK, born and bred
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| #7 (permalink) Thu Nov 03, 2011 21:13 pm Re: ensurance or assurance |
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| Nessie wrote: |
Hi Jamie,
I have two other questions about this:
1. What about the difference between 'assure' and 'ensure'? |
assure - a promise that something will be certain.
ensure - Make certain that (something) shall occur or be the case.
| Quote: |
| 2. In AmE, 'insure' doesn't just mean 'to protect yourself against risk by regularly paying a special company that will provide a fixed amount of money if you are killed or injured or if your home or possessions are damaged, destroyed or stolen', but it can also mean 'to make something certain to happen', right? |
I can't speak for AmE, but that last part sounds like a description of 'ensure' to me.
| Quote: |
| 2. 'Insure' and 'ensure' are pronounced identically, aren't they? So what is the correct pronunciation of them in BrE and AmE? |
[/quote]
Not quite, but the difference is subtle and it's possible that you won't be able to hear it.
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Beeesneees
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| #8 (permalink) Thu Nov 03, 2011 21:15 pm Re: when to use ensurance or assurance |
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| El_Guru wrote: |
Assurance is the correct word you are looking for when trying to use correct English grammer. Ensurance would not be the correct use of English grammer.
I hope this helps differentiate the two words for you. |
'Assurance' may be the word Nessie is looking for. You forgot to point out that it depends on the context and she might also need to use 'insurance'.
By the way, the word you are looking for is 'grammar'.
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Beeesneees
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| #9 (permalink) Fri Nov 04, 2011 0:54 am assurance vs insurance vs ensurance |
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"assurance" is something you may give: I can assure you that my dog bites!
"insurance" is something you may buy: I would like to buy insurance for my car.
"ensurance" is a web based insurance company: I just saved 15% on car insurance at ensurance.com today!
How people can mix these words up, I'll never understand.
Choose wisely my friend. |
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El_Guru
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| #10 (permalink) Fri Nov 04, 2011 8:56 am Re: assurance vs insurance vs ensurance |
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| El_Guru wrote: |
"assurance" is something you may give: I can assure you that my dog bites!
"insurance" is something you may buy: I would like to buy insurance for my car.
"ensurance" is a web based insurance company: I just saved 15% on car insurance at ensurance.com today! |
That's a very clear concise definition.
The exception is that 'assurance' can be bought in one context too.
One buys Contents insurance, Property insurance. Car insurance, Pet insurance, etc... one insures against certain events
However, traditionally one would buy 'life assurance', not 'life insurance' - because death is (still) a certainty. You cannot 'insure' against it taking place. You can only 'assure' certain conditions are met.
I notice that as the language evolves this boundary is not so well defined any more and companies now offer 'life insurance' too.
| Quote: |
How people can mix these words up, I'll never understand.
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Really? I'd have thought they mix them up because the root words 'insure', 'assure' and 'ensure' (ensure - make certain of) have similar sounds and meanings. Perhaps a little more empathy would be useful.
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Beeesneees
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