In common usage both assume and presume can mean ‘suppose’ and are often interchangeable in this meaning. However, technically there is a subtle difference between the two where presume is to ‘suppose to be the case on the basis of probability ’:
Two of the journalists went missing and are presumed dead.
Assume on the other hand is to ‘suppose to be the case without proof’:
I just assumed it to be the case.
Both words also share other meanings that can be summarised as ‘to take on oneself’. In this sense assume is generally used to describe taking on a role:
I assumed the role of the aggressor in the conversation.
Whereas presume is generally used when taking on an attitude:
He had presumed too great a level of familiarity.
Insure and Ensure ?
There is considerable overlap between the meaning and use of insure and ensure . In both British and American English the primary meaning of insure is the commercial sense of providing financial compensation in the event of damage to something (e.g. property); ensure is not used at all in this sense.
For the more general senses, ensure is the more usual word, but insure is also sometimes used, particularly in American English, for example:
Bail is posted to insure that the defendant appears for trial.
or:
The system is run to ensure that a good quality of service is maintained.
Affect and Effect?
Affect and effect are different in meaning, though frequently confused. Affect is chiefly used as a verb and its main meaning is ‘to influence or make a difference to’, as in the following example sentences:
The pay increase will greatly affect their lifestyle .
The dampness began to affect my health.
The weather will affect my plans for the weekend.
Effect, on the other hand, is used both as a noun and a verb , although is more commonly used as a noun. As a noun it means ‘a result or an influence’, as in:
Move the cursor until you get the effect you want.
The beneficial effects of exercise are well documented.
Over time the effect of loud music can damage your hearing.
When used as a verb effect means ‘to bring something about as a result’. It’s most often used in a formal context as oppose to everyday English:
Growth in the economy can only be effected by stringent economic controls.
The new policies did little to effect change.
The prime minister effected many policy changes.
The key thing to remember is that effect is most commonly used as a noun, whereas affect is typically used as a verb.
Denote and Connote?
Although both words broadly mean ‘to signify’ they are technically quite different. Denote refers to the literal primary meaning of something, whereas connote signifies the attributes of a word aside from its primary meaning.
For example, winter denotes a season of the year, but connotes cold weather.
Elicit and Illicit ?
Although elicit and illicit are both pronounced and spelled similarly, they have different meanings and origins. Both words ultimately derive from Latin: illicit comes from the verb licere meaning ‘allowed’, and elicit comes from the verb elicere meaning ‘ entice or deceive ’.
Illicit is an adjective , with two meanings. The first is ‘not allowed by laws or rules’, as in:
The UN estimated that the illicit drug trade is worth billions every year.
The second is ‘going against moral standards; unaccepted or not approved of by society’, as in:
Suspecting that his wife was having an illicit affair, he warned her to stop.
Elicit is a verb, with two meanings. The first is ‘to manage to get information from someone’ as in:
The hearing elicited some revealing testimony from the chairman’s colleagues.
The second is ‘to cause or draw out a particular reaction’, as in:
Most of the humour is more miss than hit, though there are moments that elicit a chuckle .
Farther and Further ?
Is there any difference between further and farther in the following two sentences?
She moved further down the train.
She moved farther down the train.
Both words share the same roots : in the sentences given above, where the sense is ‘at, to, or by a greater distance’, there is no difference in meaning, and both are equally correct. Further is a much more common word, though, and is additionally used in various abstract and metaphorical contexts, for example referring to time, in which farther is unusual, e.g.:
without further delay
Have you anything further to say?
We intend to stay a further two weeks.
The same distinction is made between farthest andfurthest, e.g.:
the farthest point from the sun
The first team has gone furthest in its analysis .
assume and presume - my first thought was that they really mean the same thing, i.e. to accept the existence or truth of something, but after thinking about it a little, it's probable that what is assumed or presumed is where the difference would lie. I'm not sure about it.
insure and ensure - both have a meaning similar to "guarantee", but "insure" is about replacing something lost in some way, whereas "ensure" is a word used to establish something or convince.
affect and effect - that one's easy. "Affect" is a verb, to cause something, while "effect" is a result, or what is caused.
denote and connote - my problem with that is although I know that to "denote" is to provide an emphasis about or to take or point out special note of something, I didn't know that the word "connotation" had a verbal usage, so I would have to guess that it means providing a meaning to something.
elicit and illicit - okay, that one's easy. To "elicit" is to draw out or request, whereas "illicit" means "not kosher" or "illegal".
farther and further - The easiest one - "farther" is a measure of distance whereas "further" is a measure of degree. Anyone who watched the movie "Finding Forrester" would know that.
Okay, I don't know if I'm absolutely correct with those, which may be caused in part at least by my not being able to describe them properly using my existing vocabulary. Here's one you didn't post - "Possibly and Probably". You can add that to the list.
Currently the media is trying to illicit the details of Stormy Daniels' elicit affairs!
(I find its often fun to reverse the meanings...and of course its also fun to frequently split infinitives-- but the rule about that seems to rarely be followed any more).
Here's one you didn't post - "Possibly and Probably".
I'll play. Broadly speaking, I think 'possibly' refers to something with a less than 50-50 chance of happening, and 'probably' would be more than a 50-50 chance of happening.
In British English "inquire" is used to indicate more formality or officialdom, whereas "enquire" is the norm. For example when used as a noun you might say a "Government Inquiry". Actually I use "inquire" more often than "enquire". "Enquire" does not seem to be considered kosher by a computer set for American English, whereas "inquire" is considered okay. Because I use British English, I often see my English-spelled words underlined in red, but I will not succumb.
Interesting post. A little humbling, as well. I'm playing by the rules and not googling.
"Assume and presume" are making me think. I assume that you wrote this article to make me think. And I presume .. well, crap. I don't know quite how to describe the difference.
The line is Dr. Livingstone, I presume. Not Dr. Livingstone, I assume. But why? I can use them properly in a sentence, but I don't know how I know.
Actually - I've got it! When you assume, you make an "ass" out of "u" and "me" - if you use "presume" you don't get the same smartass response.
Insure and ensure, that's a given for me so I won't get into it. It's one of my pet peeves. Same with affect vs. effect, elicit and illicit, further and farther.
Denote and connote is the other interesting one for me. I think I would use them properly in a sentence, but I don't know how to explain the difference. So yeah, I fail at that one. I've never actually seen the word "connote" - it would be "connotation". Something denotes something, and something has a connotation with something else .. that's the best I can come up with.
One example that I've seen a lot lately. The difference seems obvious to me, because the means aren't similar at -- they're actually quite different. But misuing them (confusing one for the other) seems to have become quite common recently. The two are : literally and figuratively
That's one of mine as well. In fact it may be the single most common error in usage I see on the Internet. So frequently when people want to tell some one that they're correct, they say:
Your right!
Of course its they're right to say that, but than their not correct! Heh
(Or should I say that in that case there not right? Or perhaps their not write?)
to, two, too (misusing "to" and "too" is a common mistake.)
Those were triples, there have to be at least hundreds of doubles.
My pet peeve is seeing people write "loose" when they mean "lose". "Loose" means "not tight" whereas "lose" means accidentally (or maybe not accidentally) no longer possessing something. e.g. In Las Vegas it's easy to LOSE money (not LOOSE money). Your belt is LOOSE so your pants are falling down. Have you any idea how many times I've seen that mistake on NT? I don't criticize spelling/grammar mistakes on line because English is not necessarily the writer's first language, and in any event what's the purpose in embarrassing anyone? Besides, who doesn't make typos? - I certainly make them.
Spell-check is useless when it comes to those things - only a grammar-check could detect most of them.
Many of the pairs of words on that list are pronounced differently, are not homonyms, and it is only because they look the same that they are confused.
Just take one half of it out and see if it makes sense. "TiG and Me had a discussion" .. well, TiG had a discussion works. Me had a discussion does not work, so it's I. Same for him and her, he and she, etc.
Who and whom gets me. I know how to use them properly, but using "whom" seems too formal in many cases. Same with not ending a sentence with a preposition, or not using a sentence fragment.
Although it's not right to end a sentence with a preposition, it just seems too clumsy or is just too time-consuming to be absolutely correct all the time. The proper usage of "whom" has always been a concern for me - sometimes it just doesn't seem right (although it is).
When you text all day, and don't read much, I guess it's difficult.
And to be honest, some of the rules are a little hard to tolerate. When I'm writing a training manual, I have to think about formal vs. comfortable. It's difficult to choose comfortable without cringing, but that's what will make the reader more comfortable. That damn thing about not ending a sentence with a preposition is among the stuffiest rules, when trying to write informally.
Language changes all the time; I think we're just seeing it happen faster than it has in the past.
Texting has destroyed the English language. I wonder if the students today could make head or tail out of the language used in Pride and Prejudice.
Of course the Americans (Webster) started in that direction by simplifying the spelling of common English words. (e.g. labour/labor, travelling/traveling). So now we get "C U L8R". LOL (an acronym which I thought when I saw it for the first time on a memo from a colleague meant "Lots of Love" and then by asking the question was almost laughed out of the room).
I will give the answers, per the Oxford Dictionary , later. Probably tomorrow.
I am one of those usage neat freaks that will look it up if not sure.
As per the Oxford Dictionary -
Assume And Presume ?
In common usage both assume and presume can mean ‘suppose’ and are often interchangeable in this meaning. However, technically there is a subtle difference between the two where presume is to ‘suppose to be the case on the basis of probability ’:
Two of the journalists went missing and are presumed dead.
Assume on the other hand is to ‘suppose to be the case without proof’:
I just assumed it to be the case.
Both words also share other meanings that can be summarised as ‘to take on oneself’. In this sense assume is generally used to describe taking on a role:
I assumed the role of the aggressor in the conversation.
Whereas presume is generally used when taking on an attitude:
He had presumed too great a level of familiarity.
Insure and Ensure ?
There is considerable overlap between the meaning and use of insure and ensure . In both British and American English the primary meaning of insure is the commercial sense of providing financial compensation in the event of damage to something (e.g. property); ensure is not used at all in this sense.
For the more general senses, ensure is the more usual word, but insure is also sometimes used, particularly in American English, for example:
Bail is posted to insure that the defendant appears for trial.
or:
The system is run to ensure that a good quality of service is maintained.
Affect and Effect?
Affect and effect are different in meaning, though frequently confused. Affect is chiefly used as a verb and its main meaning is ‘to influence or make a difference to’, as in the following example sentences:
The pay increase will greatly affect their lifestyle .
The dampness began to affect my health.
The weather will affect my plans for the weekend.
Effect, on the other hand, is used both as a noun and a verb , although is more commonly used as a noun. As a noun it means ‘a result or an influence’, as in:
Move the cursor until you get the effect you want.
The beneficial effects of exercise are well documented.
Over time the effect of loud music can damage your hearing.
When used as a verb effect means ‘to bring something about as a result’. It’s most often used in a formal context as oppose to everyday English:
Growth in the economy can only be effected by stringent economic controls.
The new policies did little to effect change.
The prime minister effected many policy changes.
The key thing to remember is that effect is most commonly used as a noun, whereas affect is typically used as a verb.
Denote and Connote?
Although both words broadly mean ‘to signify’ they are technically quite different. Denote refers to the literal primary meaning of something, whereas connote signifies the attributes of a word aside from its primary meaning.
For example, winter denotes a season of the year, but connotes cold weather.
Elicit and Illicit ?
Although elicit and illicit are both pronounced and spelled similarly, they have different meanings and origins. Both words ultimately derive from Latin: illicit comes from the verb licere meaning ‘allowed’, and elicit comes from the verb elicere meaning ‘ entice or deceive ’.
Illicit is an adjective , with two meanings. The first is ‘not allowed by laws or rules’, as in:
The UN estimated that the illicit drug trade is worth billions every year.
The second is ‘going against moral standards; unaccepted or not approved of by society’, as in:
Suspecting that his wife was having an illicit affair, he warned her to stop.
Elicit is a verb, with two meanings. The first is ‘to manage to get information from someone’ as in:
The hearing elicited some revealing testimony from the chairman’s colleagues.
The second is ‘to cause or draw out a particular reaction’, as in:
Most of the humour is more miss than hit, though there are moments that elicit a chuckle .
Farther and Further ?
Is there any difference between further and farther in the following two sentences?
She moved further down the train.
She moved farther down the train.
Both words share the same roots : in the sentences given above, where the sense is ‘at, to, or by a greater distance’, there is no difference in meaning, and both are equally correct. Further is a much more common word, though, and is additionally used in various abstract and metaphorical contexts, for example referring to time, in which farther is unusual, e.g.:
without further delay
Have you anything further to say?
We intend to stay a further two weeks.
The same distinction is made between farthest andfurthest, e.g.:
the farthest point from the sun
The first team has gone furthest in its analysis .
Okay, at least I wasn't TOO far off.
Farther is generally about distance, while further is generally about time.
that is true, you weren't.
An assumption is a guess. A presumption is also a guess, but perhaps more based in fact than an assumption is.
assume and presume - my first thought was that they really mean the same thing, i.e. to accept the existence or truth of something, but after thinking about it a little, it's probable that what is assumed or presumed is where the difference would lie. I'm not sure about it.
insure and ensure - both have a meaning similar to "guarantee", but "insure" is about replacing something lost in some way, whereas "ensure" is a word used to establish something or convince.
affect and effect - that one's easy. "Affect" is a verb, to cause something, while "effect" is a result, or what is caused.
denote and connote - my problem with that is although I know that to "denote" is to provide an emphasis about or to take or point out special note of something, I didn't know that the word "connotation" had a verbal usage, so I would have to guess that it means providing a meaning to something.
elicit and illicit - okay, that one's easy. To "elicit" is to draw out or request, whereas "illicit" means "not kosher" or "illegal".
farther and further - The easiest one - "farther" is a measure of distance whereas "further" is a measure of degree. Anyone who watched the movie "Finding Forrester" would know that.
Okay, I don't know if I'm absolutely correct with those, which may be caused in part at least by my not being able to describe them properly using my existing vocabulary. Here's one you didn't post - "Possibly and Probably". You can add that to the list.
Excellent article, John.
Currently the media is trying to illicit the details of Stormy Daniels' elicit affairs!
(I find its often fun to reverse the meanings...and of course its also fun to frequently split infinitives-- but the rule about that seems to rarely be followed any more).
Don't you be splitting any infinitives with me, bub, or I'll end a sentence with a preposition and see how you like it!
Here's one you didn't post - "Possibly and Probably".
I'll play. Broadly speaking, I think 'possibly' refers to something with a less than 50-50 chance of happening, and 'probably' would be more than a 50-50 chance of happening.
Correct.
Here's a tougher one: inquire and enquire
That is a tough one, I'm not sure I can figure that out without looking it up.
Leave it for now and see if there are any other participants.
I think it's just American vs English spelling; no difference in meaning
Or perhaps even any other precipitants!
(People who drop by?)
In British English "inquire" is used to indicate more formality or officialdom, whereas "enquire" is the norm. For example when used as a noun you might say a "Government Inquiry". Actually I use "inquire" more often than "enquire". "Enquire" does not seem to be considered kosher by a computer set for American English, whereas "inquire" is considered okay. Because I use British English, I often see my English-spelled words underlined in red, but I will not succumb.
Interesting post. A little humbling, as well. I'm playing by the rules and not googling.
"Assume and presume" are making me think. I assume that you wrote this article to make me think. And I presume .. well, crap. I don't know quite how to describe the difference.
The line is Dr. Livingstone, I presume. Not Dr. Livingstone, I assume. But why? I can use them properly in a sentence, but I don't know how I know.
Actually - I've got it! When you assume, you make an "ass" out of "u" and "me" - if you use "presume" you don't get the same smartass response.
Insure and ensure, that's a given for me so I won't get into it. It's one of my pet peeves. Same with affect vs. effect, elicit and illicit, further and farther.
Denote and connote is the other interesting one for me. I think I would use them properly in a sentence, but I don't know how to explain the difference. So yeah, I fail at that one. I've never actually seen the word "connote" - it would be "connotation". Something denotes something, and something has a connotation with something else .. that's the best I can come up with.
Great post! Get smarter here
I will post the Oxford Dictionary explanations sometime in the morning tomorrow.
One example that I've seen a lot lately. The difference seems obvious to me, because the means aren't similar at -- they're actually quite different. But misuing them (confusing one for the other) seems to have become quite common recently. The two are : literally and figuratively
Adding to your list are my pet peeves:
Maybe an article on confused concepts next? I offer the following starters:
That's one of mine as well. In fact it may be the single most common error in usage I see on the Internet. So frequently when people want to tell some one that they're correct, they say:
Your right!
Of course its they're right to say that, but than their not correct! Heh
(Or should I say that in that case there not right? Or perhaps their not write?)
Won possibull remidy (at leest four errors do two incorrect punctuation):
That's a relatively new book-- this one is the classic work on the subject:
They're eh?
Write on! Clever Krishna as always.
Homonyms
write, right, rite
your, you're, yore.
there, their, they're
aisle, I'll, isle
pear, pare, pair
cite, site, sight
to, two, too (misusing "to" and "too" is a common mistake.)
Those were triples, there have to be at least hundreds of doubles.
My pet peeve is seeing people write "loose" when they mean "lose". "Loose" means "not tight" whereas "lose" means accidentally (or maybe not accidentally) no longer possessing something. e.g. In Las Vegas it's easy to LOSE money (not LOOSE money). Your belt is LOOSE so your pants are falling down. Have you any idea how many times I've seen that mistake on NT? I don't criticize spelling/grammar mistakes on line because English is not necessarily the writer's first language, and in any event what's the purpose in embarrassing anyone? Besides, who doesn't make typos? - I certainly make them.
Spell-check is useless when it comes to those things - only a grammar-check could detect most of them.
I love the Elements of Style. It's considered to be outdated now according to some, OMG, LOL, TFF.
That's a tuff won.
Hear's a list of moast commenly cunfused werds-- sum of thease are diffacullt:
not including
strongly disliking; opposed
to recommend something
a result; to bring about a result
(Cont'd --> HEAR)
Many of the pairs of words on that list are pronounced differently, are not homonyms, and it is only because they look the same that they are confused.
I vs. Me - major pet peeve.
Just take one half of it out and see if it makes sense. "TiG and Me had a discussion" .. well, TiG had a discussion works. Me had a discussion does not work, so it's I. Same for him and her, he and she, etc.
Who and whom gets me. I know how to use them properly, but using "whom" seems too formal in many cases. Same with not ending a sentence with a preposition, or not using a sentence fragment.
People do not seem to care about proper English as much nowadays. Or is it just the generations younger than the boomers?
Although it's not right to end a sentence with a preposition, it just seems too clumsy or is just too time-consuming to be absolutely correct all the time. The proper usage of "whom" has always been a concern for me - sometimes it just doesn't seem right (although it is).
When you text all day, and don't read much, I guess it's difficult.
And to be honest, some of the rules are a little hard to tolerate. When I'm writing a training manual, I have to think about formal vs. comfortable. It's difficult to choose comfortable without cringing, but that's what will make the reader more comfortable. That damn thing about not ending a sentence with a preposition is among the stuffiest rules, when trying to write informally.
Language changes all the time; I think we're just seeing it happen faster than it has in the past.
The joke goes:
Husband: Honey, where's the newspaper at?
Wife: Never end a sentence with a prepostition!
Husband: Where's the newspaper at, wench?
I think you said it best with "clumsy." Sometimes, being grammatically correct just sounds clumsy.
Texting has destroyed the English language. I wonder if the students today could make head or tail out of the language used in Pride and Prejudice.
Of course the Americans (Webster) started in that direction by simplifying the spelling of common English words. (e.g. labour/labor, travelling/traveling). So now we get "C U L8R". LOL (an acronym which I thought when I saw it for the first time on a memo from a colleague meant "Lots of Love" and then by asking the question was almost laughed out of the room).
Yes or I, eye, aye if you prefer.
Choose vs chose.
present vs past.
I choose to be alone. I chose to be alone.
"Choose" can also be used in command mode: e.g. Choose your weapon for our duel.