Do you ‘double check’ or ‘double confirm’ your work? What’s the correct way to convey what you mean?
To keep it short, ‘double check’ is the correct phrase to use. To double confirm is repetitive. To confirm something twice, you’d say ‘reconfirm.'
So, what does each phrase mean? We'll get into that in a bit. But first, let's define 'check' and 'confirm.'
The Merriam-Webster definition of the word ‘check’ is: “to inspect, examine, or look appraisingly – usually used without or over,” “to compare with a source, original, or authority: verify,” “to look at (something) to obtain information,” “to look or reach into (something) to find what is there,” and to access (email, voice mail, etc.) to find out if there are messages.”
It could also mean: “to slow or bring to a stop,” to block the progress of (someone, such as a hockey player),” “to leave or accept for safekeeping in a checkroom,” “to consign (something, such as luggage) to a common carrier from which one has purchased a passenger ticket,” to ship or accept for shipment under such a consignment,” “to restrain or diminish the action or force of control,” to slack or ease off (a rope) and then belay again,” “to mark into squares,” and “to put (a chess king) in check.”
As a verb, it’s defined as: “to investigate conditions,” “to prove to be consistent or truthful,” “to look at or in something to see or find what is there,” and “to waive the right to initiate the betting in a round of poker.”
The Merriam-Webster definition of ‘confirm’ is: “to give approval to,” “to make firm or firmer,” to administer the rite of confirmation to,” and “to give new assurance of the validity of removing doubt about by authoritative act or indisputable fact.”
In short, you cannot use both ‘double check’ and ‘double confirm.’ To confirm something twice, you’d use the word ‘reconfirm.’
Since you know it’s perfectly acceptable to use ‘double check’ and not ‘double confirm,’ let’s take a closer look at how to use it in a sentence correctly.
Take a look at some examples of how to use ‘double check’:
Using the phrase ‘double confirm’ isn’t really acceptable. If you want to confirm something you’ve already confirmed, you can say ‘reconfirm.’
One easy way to remember which word to use is to remember that if you’re using the word ‘check’ to verify something, just use ‘confirm’ instead.
And while you can ‘double confirm’ something (confirm it twice), you don’t need to say ‘double confirm’ if you’re only doing it once.
However, ‘double check’ is acceptable to say.
Saying ‘double check’ is completely fine, and it’s incorrect to use ‘double confirm.’ To confirm something twice, you’d say ‘reconfirm.’
It might be tricky to remember which phrase to use – similar to phrases like ‘He and I/He and Him’ and ‘Unto/Onto.’
Remember, if you’re using the word ‘check’ to verify something, just use ‘confirm’ instead.
That’s precisely why we’ve created a library of articles on confusing words and phrases that can help you remember exactly which words and phrases it’s okay to use while you’re learning the language or even if you’re just brushing up on your grammar.
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