assess and assets differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. assess means “evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of”. assets means “anything of material value or usefulness that is owned by a person or company”. assets is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈsɛs/
1.v.evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of
“I will have the family jewels appraised by a professional”
2.v.charge (a person or a property) with a payment, such as a tax or a fine
3.v.set or determine the amount of (a payment such as a fine)
/ˈæˌsɛts/
1.n.anything of material value or usefulness that is owned by a person or company
| assess | assets | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈsɛs/ | /ˈæˌsɛts/ |
| Said | uh-SES | AS-ets |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | verb | noun |
| Senses | 4 | 1 |
| How common | Familiar | Common |
| Synonyms | measure, evaluate, valuate | none recorded |
Full entry for assess · Full entry for assets · More comparisons