Commonly misused/misspelled words and phrases (part 20)

Continuing my series of blogs, here are some more words and phrases that are often misused or misspelled:

Alls I know vs. all I know

Wrong: Alls I know….
Right: All I know is….

All I know is, this one is simple. It’s always all, never alls.

Assure vs. ensure vs. insure

Wrong: Insure that she gets home safely.
Right: Ensure that she gets home safely.

Assure means to make someone confident of something, just as to do so again is to reassure him or her. To make certain of something is to ensure that it happens, while insure specifically refers to insurance. I might assure you I will ensure that a package will arrive safely; but just in case, you might want to insure the package.

See, that wasn't too painful. For more pain-free lessons, y'all come back and see me sometime, y'hear?

Mark. (Born in the South--South Manhattan, that is.)