commence vs set about

commence and set about both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
commence	No	No	Yes	No
set about	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, commence and set about are synonyms defined as:

commence and set about: take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

Other synonyms of commence include begin, get, get down, set out, start, start out.

commence (verb)	set about (verb)
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action	take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
set in motion, cause to start	enter upon an activity or enterprise
get off the ground	begin to deal with