The terms ‘access’ and ‘assess’ are somewhat similar in pronunciation but differ significantly in their meaning. Access means to have something or permission to do something.
It is also used in places where eruptions of emotions are meant. Assess is a term used to evaluate something or someone. It can also be used in areas where estimation is needed.
Both are transitive verbs and cannot exist in a sentence without an object.
Key Takeaways
- Access means gaining entry, approaching, or using something; assess means evaluating or estimating the quality, value, or significance of something.
- Access is related to obtaining or using resources, while assessment is focused on judgment or measurement.
- Both words have different pronunciations, with “access” sounding like /ˈakˌses/ and “assess” like /əˈses/.
Access vs Assess
Access refers to the ability or right to use or obtain something, such as information or a resource, and can also refer to the act of gaining entry to a place or system. Assess means to evaluate or appraise something, and involves making a judgment based on careful consideration and analysis.
Want to save this article for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own articles box!
The word access is used in a sentence to depict the permission one has to use something.
Access can be used with any form of an object. Mostly the things in the sentences would be the one that has permission to be used and ultimately accessed. It also means the outbursts of emotions.
Assess is a term used to evaluate or estimate. It can have simultaneous meanings, like judging, valuing, and determining quality.
The object or the subject would be ’assessed ‘when this term is used in a sentence. It can also be used in places where the importance of something is spoken.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Access | Assess |
|---|---|---|
| Primary meaning | Entry is primarily meant as permission to use something or an approach. | Assess is primarily used to evaluate someone or estimate something. |
| Secondary meaning | It is used to show the outburst/attack of feelings. | It can also be used to show the value of a noun. |
| Forms of Existence | Access can exist as a transitive verb as well as a noun. | Assess can exist as a transitive verb. |
| Origin | Access originated from Old French | Assess originated from Latin. |
| Example | 1. I need access to the computer 2. He was suddenly accessed by tears. | 1. The teacher assessed our answers. 2. The house was assessed for 10 million. |
What is Access?
The term access means having permission to do something. It can also mean to use something.
Access is a term that can be used as a verb and a noun. When used as a noun, access can take up the place of a subject or an object. When used as a verb, it is used as permission to approach something.
The term also has a meaning to ‘show up something’. In this usage, an emotion or feeling is shown in a massive amount. The outbursts that occur due to emotions are single-worded as access. The term also means the opportunity to use something.
The term originated from Old French. Accede was used in French, which has the same meaning as access. This term also has multiple meanings in French, but only the synonyms that mean to have permission are derived in English.
In medical terms, the word access denotes the passage dentists usually create. But this is a narrow term, and the meaning is not widely used. Primarily the term is meant to ‘use’ or ‘the permission to use’.
For Example:
- I can access the library (verb)
- I have been granted access (noun)
What is Assess?
The term assesses means to evaluate someone/ something. It can also mean estimating something. It is a term widely used in English to judge something.
Usually, it exists as a verb. It needs an object to withstand a sentence. When used in a sentence, ‘something should be assessed’.
The secondary meaning of ‘assets’ is similar to that of the first. It also means to value something.
The value of something can be found out after evaluating it, which is what assessment does. It can mean differently in different contents according to the subject and object being assessed.
In Medieval Latin, Assessare was used to denote tax valuation. This term is taken from Latin and has the secondary meaning of calculating the tax amount. The appraisal of something can also have the word meaning of assess,
Assessments can also change the meaning according to the sentence’s meaning. It can change colour according to the ruling. Sometimes it means to value, and sometimes it means to judge.
Hence there is a massive difference according to the situation used.
For example,
- I have assessed the students. (meaning –judge)
- The gold is set for over a million dollars. (representing – value)
Main Differences Between Access and Assess
- Access primarily means to approach something and get permission to use it. Assess at the same place means to evaluate and estimate something.
- Access also means opening up with inner feelings and emotions. Assess also means to judge or value something.
- The word ‘access’ can be used as a verb and a noun, whereas ‘assess’ can be only used as a verb.
- Access is derived from Old French, whereas assess originates in Medieval Latin.
- Access is used as a passage of routing canals in dentistry, whereas assessment is an official valuation of something.
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
