Word Confusion: Access versus Assess

Posted April 19, 2022 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

You should assess your access — not assess something to get in. Well, okay, you may want to assess whether or not you want access . . .

One letter, repeated, is enough to make a difference in whether you can access, or be able to get in somewhere, speak to someone, use something, or approach. Do remember that access can be an adjective, a noun, or a transitive verb.

You can however assess whether you even want access to something. You know, to evaluate or set a value. And assess is strictly a transitive verb.

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Exploring Later . . .

You may also want to explore “Access versus Accession” and “Access versus Excess“.

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Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

If you found this post on “Access versus Assess” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.

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Access	Assess
No Entry by xaviera750 is under the Pixabay License, via Pixabay. — Hmm, guess that means no access.	Corps Sends Team to Fort Irwin to Assess Monsoon Damage by US Army Corps of Engineers and uploaded by Albert Herring. This photo is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
Part of Grammar:
Adjective ¹; Noun ¹, ²; Verb, transitive ¹ Plural for the noun: accesses Gerund: accessing Third person present verb: accesses Past tense or past participle: accessed Present participle: accessing	Verb, transitive Third person present verb: assesses Past tense or past participle: assessed Present participle: assessing
Adjective: Denoting noncommercial broadcasting produced by local independent groups, rather than by professionals ¹ Noun: Right or opportunity to use or benefit from something ¹ Right or opportunity to approach or see someone Action or process of obtaining or retrieving information stored in a computer’s memory Condition of being able to be reached or obtained [Singular noun] Attack or outburst of an emotion Means of approaching or entering a place ² Verb: Usually as be accessed ¹ [Computing] Obtain, examine, or retrieve data or a file Approach or enter a place Gain the right or opportunity to use or benefit from something	Evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of [Usually be assessed] Calculate or estimate the price or value of Set the value of a tax, fine, etc., for (a person or property) at a specified level
Examples:
Adjective: The forum will be aired on local public access television prior to Election Day. The evolution of access broadcasting has produced a different kind of anxiety. Noun: Do you have access to a computer? We were denied access to our grandson. This prevents unauthorized access or inadvertent deletion of the file. Either a solution has presented itself or I’ve had an access of strength and energy which has been enough to get me through. The staircase gives access to the top floor. Verb: Single rooms have private facilities accessed via the balcony. The private car park is accessed via remote controlled gates. The site is accessed via the Dunmore Road and is around two miles from the city center.	The committee must assess the relative importance of the issues. It is difficult to assess whether this is a new trend. The damage was assessed at $5 billion. All empty properties will be assessed at 50 percent.
Derivatives:
	Adjective: assessable Noun: assessment, assessing, assessor
History of the Word:
Middle English in the sense of a sudden attack of illness from the Latin accessus from the verb accedere, which means to approach. It was first recorded in the early 17th century.	Late Middle English from the Old French assesser, based on the Latin assidere meaning sit by (in the medieval Latin levy tax), from ad- (to, at) + sedere (sit).

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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