Attain vs. obtain
Attain means to succeed in achieving something or to reach a specified size or amount. Attain implies an effort to achieve, while obtain is to gain possession of something. However, in everyday usage both attain and obtain are often treated as synonyms.
Assumption vs. presumption
Assumption means to accept something as true which isn’t founded on strong evidence, while presumption is based on evidence which has some credibility.
Assent vs. consent
Assent indicates the approval of something after careful consideration, while consent implies something is being allowed. For consent, the consenter may not necessarily be happy about the outcome.
Assemblage vs. assembly
Assemblage tends to be an informal collection while assembly refers to a more formalised group, such as a national assembly or school assembly.
Assault vs. battery
For a general audience, assault and battery have the same meaning. While this may vary depending on your country of residence, typically battery involves physically touching someone, while assault doesn’t and instead refers to the threat of violence. In some jurisdictions, this distinction between assault and battery no longer applies.
Apt vs. likely
Apt means suitable in a given circumstance, have the tendency to do something or be quick to learn while likely means probable or promising.
Approve vs. endorse
Approve means to accept something as satisfactory while endorse means to declare public approval or support for something. While approve implies that the approver has a positive attitude towards something, endorse implies a positive attitude and active support.
Appraise vs. apprise
Apprised means to assess the value of something while apprise means to notify someone about something.
Any place vs. anyplace
Any place means any location while anyplace is an informal usage of anywhere. Anyplace is often used in spoken language and using it in writing is considered non-standard usage. You can use anyplace in creative writing, but it’s best to use anywhere for official or formal writing.
Anywhere vs. any place
Anywhere means in, to or at any place and can be used to indicate an indefinite location, while any place has a narrower meaning of any location.