assent

Assent can be a noun meaning agreement, as in I give my assent, or a verb meaning to agree or give in, as in I assent to your terms. Ascent is a noun that means the act of moving upward (ascending), an upward movement, or upward movement in general.

The two words are pronounced exactly the same.

Perhaps the best way to remember the difference between the two is to think about what related words mean and how they’re spelled. Words related to assent involve agreement or disagreement and end with -sent, including consent and dissent.

Words related to ascent involve movement and are spelled with sc, including ascend, ascension, descent, descend, and transcend.

Here’s an example of assent and ascent used correctly in a sentence.

Example: I asked him if he really wanted to climb the mountain, he gave his assent, and we began our ascent.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between assent and ascent.

Should assent or ascent be used in the following sentence?

The balloon’s _____ into the air was slowed by all the weight attached to it.