# assume vs astute

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### assume
*verb · IPA /əˈsjuːm/ · frequency rank #2,611*
To authenticate by means of belief; to surmise; to suppose to be true, especially without proof.

### astute
*adjective · IPA /əsˈtjuːt/ · frequency rank #25,284*
Quickly and critically discerning.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/assume-vs-astute