Which to use
“assent” is a verb and “asses” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #27,724
- “assent” frequency rank
- #9,699
- “asses” frequency rank
- 37423
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | assent | asses |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To agree to a proposal. | plural of ass |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set assent and asses apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: assent is /əˈsɛnt/ while asses is /ˈæsɪz/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37423, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
assent is recorded at frequency rank #27,724, classified as averb, pronounced /əˈsɛnt/. asses is at rank #9,699, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈæsɪz/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 37423, this pair ranks #294,722 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of assent vs asses
Shared letters: aes. Private to "assent": nt. Private to "asses": -.
"assent" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC · "asses" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "assent" and "asses" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "assent" or "asses"?
Remembering assent vs asses
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “assent”; for a noun, it's “asses”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “assent” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable