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assure/ensure/insure
ASSURE/ENSURE/INSURE
To “assure” a person of something is to make him or her confident of it. According to Associated
Press style, to “ensure” that something happens is to make certain that it does, and to “insure” is to
issue an insurance policy. Other authorities, however, consider “ensure” and “insure”
interchangeable. To please conservatives, make the distinction. However, it is worth noting that in
older usage these spellings were not clearly distinguished.
European “life assurance” companies take the position that all policy-holders are mortal and someone
will definitely collect, thus assuring heirs of some income. American companies tend to go with
“insurance” for coverage of life as well as of fire, theft, etc.
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/assure.html03/09/2005 15:36:56
asterick
ASTERICK
ASTERISK
Some people not only spell this word without its second S, they say it that way too. It comes from Greek asteriskos: “little star.” Tisk, tisk, remember the
“-isk”; “asterick” is icky.
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/asterick.html03/09/2005 15:36:56
as of yet
AS OF YET
YET
“As of yet” is a windy and pretentious substitute for plain old English “yet” or “as yet,” an unjustified extension of the pattern in sentences like “as of
Friday the 27th of May.”
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/asofyet.html03/09/2005 15:36:57
at all
AT ALL
Some of us are irritated when a grocery checker asks “Do you want any help out with that at all?” “At
all” is traditionally used in negative contexts: “Can’t you give me any help at all?” The current
pattern of using the phrase in positive offers of help unintentionally suggests aid reluctantly given or

minimal in extent. As a way of making yourself sound less polite than you intend, it ranks right up
there with “no problem” instead of “you’re welcome.”
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/atall.html03/09/2005 15:36:57
ATM machine
ATM machine
ATM
“ATM” means “Automated Teller Machine,” so if you say “ATM machine” you are really saying, “Automated Teller Machine machine.”
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/atm.html03/09/2005 15:36:57
athlete
ATHLETE
Tired of people stereotyping you as a dummy just because you’re a jock? One way to impress them is
to pronounce “athlete” properly, with just two syllables, as “ATH-leet” instead of using the common
mispronunciation “ATH-uh-leet.”
List of errors
file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/athlete.html03/09/2005 15:36:57