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I'm wondering if there is any distinction between using the word confirm versus the word verify.
For example, when sending an email to confirm (or verify) a user's account, is it better to call it "Email Confirmation" or "Email Verification?"
Does it differ by scenario? Or is it better to just be consistent?
From English.Stackexchange: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/5789/whats-the-difference-between-to-confirm-and-to-verify
Verification requires external evidence.
Confirmation requires a re-issuance of a believed statement.
To use your example: 'Confirm user account' is asking the user from their perspective. 'Would you like to do this?'. 'Verify your account' is more demanding: 'We need proof so please do this for us.'
Whether you use confirm or verify is up to you. It depends on how you would like your users to perceive your brand/website/product.
Yes there is a noticable difference.
The user should Confirm they want to make the change but Verify that the email they entered is correct.
Verify : to ascertain the truth or correctness of, as by examination, research, or comparison
Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/verify
Confirm : to acknowledge with definite assurance
Verification is more typically an evaluation like a script maybe? Personally I prefer to label my stuff for "what it is" (what you see is what you get concept), In your example I assume you're sending out an email to that address asking the user to confirm that this is indeed their address.. So I guess it's email_confirmation in this case... email_verification would maybe be the combination of the evaluation + confirmation = verified! evaluation could for instance be a regEx comparison for correct syntax of an email address on user input.
Email confirmation to me is more inclusive to users but also slightly more lax on security restrictions?....like checking an ID to get in somewhere vs. checking an ID against a list to get in (email verification).
Agree it may come down to how your brand wants to be perceived and how you view security.
Here is an easy explanation. Confirm. The correct known answer already exists. You just need to confirm that your solution yields that same (correct) answer. Think about it as checking your answer in a workbook- did you get the same answer that is listed in the back of the book?
Verify. The solution has to be reworked to verify your answer is correct. Think of this as double-checking your work. You correctly work through the steps of the solution a second time. Did your first answer match what you got when correctly working through the problem a second time?
Based on the most up-voted answer, it almost seems as if one could conclude that "confirmation" would not require external evidence. But, that isn't quite the case. The confirmation itself is held to the assertion that it is backed by evidence, if it assumed to be true.
