Access vs. Assess

While deadlines are a great motivator to get things done, they are also a factor that often causes work to be completed quickly. If written content needs to be produced under tight, pressure-driven circumstances, it’s best to have a proofreader on-call to massage out the knots that may occur in first-draft copy.

Careless errors are always a possibility, even if a writer actually knows the difference between two words.

Since “c”s and “s”s in the English language may have the same pronunciation, rushed writers might mistakenly type the wrong sequence of letters when it comes to the words “access” and “assess.”

Here are quick tips to determine the difference between these two words, and type them correctly during Round 1, if you’re working in a fast-paced environment.

“Access” is a verb and a noun.

As a verb, the word means “to acquire, to have”:

I won’t be able to access the password-protected file until I receive
the password.

As a noun, the word means “to possess permission”:

Since the file did not require a password, I already have access to the information.

The word expresses the same idea regardless of the form of speech.

“Assess” is a verb.

To “assess” is “to judge, to determine based on evidence”:

Now that I have access to the pertinent background information, I can accurately assess the situation.

Similar spellings. Not-so-similar meanings. So, how do you regulate your wandering fingertips so that they don’t type “cc” when they intend to type “ss”, or vice-versa?

Access

Having access to something is a privilege. When you get something that you want, most commonly money, the conversational phrase “Cha-Ching!” comes to mind.

Tip: “Cha-Ching” --> “cc” --> Access --> Privileged Access

Assess

“Assess,” the word with the letters “ss,” means “to form a judgment.”

The judgment is made regarding a situation. The word “situation” begins with the letter “s.”

Tip: Assess the Situation

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.