English homophones
ensure/insure
"ensure" (#2,039 written frequency) beats "insure" (#17,164) in this 2-word /ɪnˈʃɔː(ɹ)/ cluster. Size rank #133 of 1,007 English groups.
Data vintage
Frequency splits the cluster
These 2 spellings keep the same /ɪnˈʃɔː(ɹ)/ reading, but written frequency splits them hard: "ensure" leads at #2,039, with "insure" trailing at #17,164.
Spelling pairs in this cluster
- No shared spelling stem: "ensure" is 6 letters, "insure" is 6; only the sound ties them.
Orthographic DNA of this cluster
Shared letters across ensure, insure: enrsu. Private letters are the ones only one spelling owns: the eye's fastest tell once sound is out of the picture.
ensure
6 letters · 3 vowels · shape VCCVCV
Inventory enrsu · no private letters vs siblings
insure
6 letters · 3 vowels · shape VCCVCV
Inventory einrsu · private i
Pick the spelling from the meaning
- Write "ensure" when you mean: To make sure or certain of something (usually some future event or condition).
- Write "insure" when you mean: To provide for compensation if some specified risk occurs. Often agreed by policy (contract) to offer financial compensation in case of a…
Known mistypes of these spellings
Edit-distance variants recorded against this cluster: useful when a search or OCR feed lands on the wrong form.
Each spelling
verb · /ɪnˈʃɔː(ɹ)/ · #2,039 frequency
To make sure or certain of something (usually some future event or condition).
verb · /ɪnˈʃɔː(ɹ)/ · #17,164 frequency
To provide for compensation if some specified risk occurs. Often agreed by policy (contract) to offer financial compensation in case of an accident, theft or other undesirable event.
Nearby English homophone groups
What to do next
You've reviewed the 2-spelling cluster (ensure, insure). Here's where to go from here.
- "ensure" is the most frequent headword in this 2-spelling cluster (rank #2,039 in English). Full entry
- Among English homophone groups, a cluster of 2 spellings ranks #133 by size (1,007 groups in this vintage). Corpus statistics
- Explore a nearby 2-spelling cluster: Elliott · Elliot. Nearby cluster
- Each spelling in "ensure, insure" has its own headword page with definition, IPA, and misspelling variants. First entry
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.