# ascertain

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˌæsəˈteɪn/ · frequency rank #19,760

## Definitions
1. To find out definitely; to discover or establish.
2. To make (someone) certain or confident about something; to inform.
3. To look for something lost.
4. To establish, to prove.
5. To ensure or effect.

## Etymology
From Middle English acerteynen, from Old French acertener, from a- (“to, towards”) + certener (“make sure of”), from the adjective certain, from Latin certus (“certain, fixed”). Compare to Spanish acertar.

## Easily confused with
- **ascertained** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ascertain-vs-ascertained)

## Common misspellings (13)
`acsertain`, `asccertain`, `asceratin`, `ascerrtain`, `ascertainn`, `ascertani`, `ascertian`, `ascerttain`, `ascetrain`, `ascretain`, `asecrtain`, `asscertain`, `sacertain`

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