FAQs about commonly confused words

Is it insure or ensure success?

The correct phrase is ensure success, meaning to make sure that something is successful. To insure is to take out an insurance policy on something or guarantee it through some other type of transaction, so you can’t insure success—at least not literally.

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What does it mean to ensure something?

To ensure something is to make sure it happens, such as by taking action or using authority.

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What does emmigration mean?

Emmigration is an incorrect spelling of “emigration.” It should be avoided, as the correct spelling of the word is always emigration (e.g., “We discussed the possibility of emigration”).

This word is closely related to the verb emigrate.

QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can help you avoid spelling mistakes in your writing.

Read this FAQ: What does emmigration mean?

What does migrant mean?

A migrant refers to a person who migrates or moves regularly, often in search of employment or better living conditions. Similarly, the word “migrant” also refers to animals that travel long distances from one habitat to another (e.g., “Many species of whales are migrants”).

Additionally, “migrant” is sometimes confused with the words “immigrant” and “emigrant.” However, “migrant” emphasizes that the movement to a new place happens regularly rather than once.

The verb “migrate” should also not be confused with the related verbs “immigrate” and “emigrate.”

A free QuillBot grammar check can help you use similar words correctly.

Read this FAQ: What does migrant mean?

What’s the difference between immigration and emigration?

Immigration and emigration are both nouns that are used to describe the process of moving from one country to another. “Immigration” focuses on individuals who immigrate to, or arrive in, a new country (e.g., “We discussed the country’s immigration laws”).

On the other hand, “emigration” focuses on those who emigrate from, or leave, their home country to live in a different one (e.g., “Too much emigration can financially cripple a country”).

Read this FAQ: What’s the difference between immigration and emigration?

Are than and then homonyms?

Than and then are homophones, meaning they sound similar. Homonyms have the same spelling.

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Is it later than or later then?

The correct phrase is later than, as in “Five o’clock is later than four o’clock.”

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Are disinterested and uninterested interchangeable?

No, disinterested and uninterested are not interchangeable. Disinterested means “not invested, not involved, or not biased.” But uninterested means “not caring or not paying attention.”

QuillBot’s free paraphrasing tool can help you choose the right word every time.

Read this FAQ: Are disinterested and uninterested interchangeable?

What is a common mistake people make with who and whom?

A lot of people use whom when they want to sound more formal and use who to sound more casual. While this can be correct, it can also lead to errors.

Instead, who should be used when it is acting as the subject of a sentence, and whom should be used when it is acting as an object. 

QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you use who and whom correctly.

Read this FAQ: What is a common mistake people make with who and whom?

When should I use who and whom?

Use who as a subject pronoun (e.g., “I,” “he,” “she,” “they”) and whom as an object pronoun (e.g., “me, “him,” “her,” “them”).

For example, “Is Ellie the friend who gave you the tickets?” could be recast as “Yes, she gave me the tickets.”

Conversely, “Is Ellie the friend whom you gave the tickets to?” could be recast as “Yes, I gave the tickets to her.”

QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can help you use who and whom correctly.

Read this FAQ: When should I use who and whom?