Regardless vs. Irregardless; Sneaked vs. Snuck; Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure
Regardless vs. Irregardless
Some words in the English language are so overused that we don’t notice that they are incorrect or don’t even exist. A perfect example is irregardless. There is no such word as irregardless because regardless already means without regard. The –ir prefix is redundant.
Sneaked vs. Snuck
Sometimes, two forms of a word may be correct. For example, both sneaked and snuck may be used as the past and perfect tenses for sneak.
Example: She snuck up on him. OR She sneaked up on him.
Example: She has snuck up on him twice while he was napping. OR She has sneaked up on him twice while he was napping.
Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure
These three words can be confusing.
Assure = to promise or say with confidence
Example: Let me assure you that I will be at the meeting.
Ensure = to make sure something will/won’t happen
Example: To ensure my family’s safety, I have installed an alarm.
Insure = to issue an insurance policy
Example: I will insure my home with an additional fire policy.
Quiz
1. She sneaked out of the house in the middle of the night.
2. I ensure you that I have been honest about the money I spent.
3. I will ensure my car as required by law.
Answers
1. She sneaked out of the house in the middle of the night. (Correct OR snuck)
2. I assure you that I have been honest about the money I spent.
3. I will insure my car as required by law.
September 1, 2008 at 10:19 am
« Commas with AppositivesThe Power of Punctuation »Regardless vs. Irregardless; Sneaked vs. Snuck; Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure
Regardless vs. Irregardless
Some words in the English language are so overused that we don’t notice that they are incorrect or don’t even exist. A perfect example is irregardless. There is no such word as irregardless because regardless already means without regard. The –ir prefix is redundant.
Sneaked vs. Snuck
Sometimes, two forms of a word may be correct. For example, both sneaked and snuck may be used as the past and perfect tenses for sneak.
Example: She snuck up on him. OR She sneaked up on him.
Example: She has snuck up on him twice while he was napping. OR She has sneaked up on him twice while he was napping.
Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure
These three words can be confusing.
Assure = to promise or say with confidence
Example: Let me assure you that I will be at the meeting.
Ensure = to make sure something will/won’t happen
Example: To ensure my family’s safety, I have installed an alarm.
Insure = to issue an insurance policy
Example: I will insure my home with an additional fire policy.
Quiz
1. She sneaked out of the house in the middle of the night.
2. I ensure you that I have been honest about the money I spent.
3. I will ensure my car as required by law.
Answers
1. She sneaked out of the house in the middle of the night. (Correct OR snuck)
2. I assure you that I have been honest about the money I spent.
3. I will insure my car as required by law.
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April 30, 2009 at 8:35 am
I just want to say thank you! So many people use words like “irregardless” all the time. My favorite of all time is “conversate.” I cringe when I hear someone say that!
April 30, 2009 at 8:44 am
I’ve never heard anyone say “conversate.” Perhaps the word hasn’t migrated to California yet.
June 14, 2009 at 11:38 am
what about the word ASK vs ax? whats going on with this? even a newsreporter in upstate NY says ax instead of ask. does it have something to do with a deformity of the tongue? i dont think so; i have repeated each one to myself over & over and all that is different is in axe the sss or hissing sound is not heard.
June 14, 2009 at 2:19 pm
It seems that “ax,” as a substitute for “ask,” is sneaking into mainstream conversation. I cringe whenever I hear it.
August 13, 2009 at 10:10 am
Burt-day instead of birthday makes me cringe! I just found your web page…I love it…thank you!
August 19, 2009 at 9:19 pm
That would make me cringe too. I’m glad you are enjoying GrammarBook.com. Thanks for writing.
July 10, 2010 at 5:18 am
Lately, I’ve been hearing some people use this mysterious word, “funna”, as in, “I’m funna go to my house”. It should be, “I’m going to go to my house”, not “funna go”.
July 12, 2010 at 10:56 am
I have never heard anyone say “funna” in place of “going to go.” Are we Californians not always first when it comes to language alterations after all?