Assistance or Assistants?

by Craig Shrives

What Is the Difference between "Assistance" and "Assistants"?

"Assistance" and "assistants" are easy to confuse because they sound the same.
  • "Assistance" means help or aid. For example:
    • I need assistance with my paperwork.
  • "Assistants" are people who provide help. It is the plural of "assistant." For example:
    • How many assistants will you hire?
assistance or assistants

More about "Assistance" and "Assistants"

The words "assistance" and "assistants" are a type of homonym called a homophone. This means they sound identical but have different meanings. Here is a summary of their meanings:
  • Assistance means help.
  • Assistants are helpers.

Assistance

The noun "assistance" means help. It usually means providing money, resources, or information to assist. "Assistance" can usually be substituted with the word "help."

Example sentences with "assistance":
  • I am unable to drive without assistance from my glasses. correct tick
  • Obviously, because of my disability, I need assistance. But I have always tried to overcome the limitations of my condition and lead as full a life as possible. correct tick (Physicist Stephen Hawking)

Assistants

The word "assistants" describes people who provide help. It is the plural of the noun "assistant."

Example sentences with "assistants":
  • Rees and his assistants work at Columbia University, New York. correct tick
  • I don't like to work with assistants. I'm already one too many; the camera alone would be enough. correct tick (Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt)

Much Assistance and Many Assistants

"Assistance" is a non-countable noun; i.e., it doesn't have a plural form. Therefore, "many" cannot be used with "assistance" because "many" is only used with countable nouns (like "assistants"). With "assistance," use "much." For example:
  • My many assistants provide me with much assistance. correct tick

Ready for the Test?

Help Us Improve Grammar Monster

  • Do you disagree with something on this page?
  • Did you spot a typo?

Find Us Quicker!

  • When using a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing), you will find Grammar Monster quicker if you add #gm to your search term.

See Also

adverse or averse? affect or effect? appraise or apprise? avenge or revenge? bare or bear? complement or compliment? dependant or dependent? discreet or discrete? disinterested or uninterested? e.g. or i.e.? envy or jealousy? imply or infer? its or it's? material or materiel? poisonous or venomous? practice or practise? principal or principle? How to write "dos and don'ts" who's or whose? lasagna or lasagne? What are non-countable nouns? What are countable nouns? List of easily confused words