Insure vs Ensure - When to Use Them

Homophones are always tricky, but there is nowhere to hide when the spelling too is nearly identical. So we must dig deep into the facts and situational usages to tell them apart in speech and writing. It’s easy to trick the eyes into mistaking them to be identical.

Insure

Insure is a verb that refers to arranging compensations in advance for if and when there comes any damage towards the intended property. Insurance companies are the primary sources to get your properties insured and apart from literary ornamentations, this is the only situation in which the word “insure” is used. 

• Insurance companies exist to insure the owned properties against accidental damages.
• Insurance companies exist to ensure the owned properties against accidental damages.

Ensure

The word Ensure is a verb that means to make sure. Whenever there is talk of surety or assurance and you require a verb (that sounds similar to “Insure”!), “Ensure” is the word you are looking for. 

• I’m jogging every morning to ensure a healthy lifestyle.
• I’m jogging every morning to insure a healthy lifestyle. 

“Ensuring a healthy lifestyle” implies that one needs to make it certain that they have a way of life that is considered healthy or free from unhealthy habits.

Insure VS Ensure

Both the words have something to do with surety or assurance. “Insure” gives surety that the insurer will be able to afford the repairs of their damaged property if and when it is damaged. On the other hand, “Ensure” provides surety to anything and everything.

The only one letter difference at the beginning makes the spelling rather confusing and remember which means which. The closeness in pronunciation of the solely differentiating letters e- and i- does not help the cause either. The en- and in- sound cannot be aptly distinguished even if someone is hell-bent on doing so.

Since both of them are verbs, there is hardly any point in looking at their sentence constructions. The only hope is to assess the situation to figure out if there is a talk of buying or availing insurance if not, it is definitely “Ensure.” 

When to Use Insure and Ensure?

The word “Insure” is only used when there is a mention of insurance of any sort or else it would no doubt be “Ensure.” 

Example - 

• Is your house insured against cyclone damages? 

“Insuring against cyclone damages” implies that the insurance company would cover the repairing expenses necessary after the cycle had affected the integrity of the house. 

When the topic is to make sure of something or a particular outcome, “Ensure” is used. 

Example - 

• Can we please ensure that we do not run out of munchies tonight? 

“Ensuring not to run out of munchies” would imply to make sure that the edibles to munch on are not finished, and there is an endless supply of the required.