Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after adjectives

Sure of vs. sure about

Sure of usually expresses certainty about a fact or ability. Sure about often refers to confidence regarding a situation, decision, or opinion.

Quick answer

When to use sure of and sure about

Use sure of before nouns, pronouns, or -ing forms to express certainty. Use sure about when discussing opinions, plans, or details under consideration.

I am sure of the answer.
Are you sure about the meeting time?
She felt sure of herself during the interview.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
sure of + fact or person

Certainty about something definite

Use sure of for confidence in facts, identities, or abilities.

He is sure of his decision.
We are sure of the results.
2
sure about + situation

Thinking carefully about details

Use sure about when discussing plans, opinions, or uncertain situations.

I am not sure about the schedule yet.
She was sure about moving abroad.
3
sure of oneself

Confidence in your own abilities

Sure of oneself is a common expression meaning confident and self-assured.

He sounded sure of himself during the debate.
She became more sure of herself with experience.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
sure of
I am sure of the address.
certain about a fact or thing
sure about
Are you sure about this plan?
confident or certain regarding a situation or proposal
sure of oneself
She seems sure of herself.
self-confident
sure about doing something
He is sure about changing jobs.
confident about a planned action

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using sure about for basic facts

Sure of is more natural for direct certainty about facts.

✕ I am sure about his name. ✓ I am sure of his name.

Forgetting the object after sure of

Sure of normally needs a noun, pronoun, or -ing form.

✕ She is sure of. ✓ She is sure of her answer.

Confusing certainty and discussion

Sure about is common when discussing options or plans.

✕ Are you sure of the travel dates? ✓ Are you sure about the travel dates?

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. I am sure ___ the answer.
2. Are you sure ___ the new policy?
3. She is sure ___ herself now.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Can sure about and sure of both be correct?

Yes. In some contexts both are possible, but sure of usually sounds more definite.

Do native speakers say sure about a person?

Usually sure of is preferred for certainty about a person or identity.

What does sure of oneself mean?

It means confident in your own abilities or judgment.

sacred-to-in-by-of, for "sad for" or "sad about"? "safe for", "safe from" or "safe in"? sanguine about, in, of, on or for? "satisfactory to" or "satisfactory for"? satisfied with, of, by, in or on? "satisfying for" or "satisfying to"? scarce in, for, at, on or of? scared of, to, about, for or by? "scary for" or "scary to"? "scathing about", "scathing in" or "scathing of"? "sceptical about" or "sceptical of"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account