Business English Vocabulary: Commonly Confused Business Verbs (with Quiz)

Q: What’s the difference between "resign" and "reassign"?

Resign means you officially leave your job. Reassign means your manager gives your position or tasks to someone else. Example: She resigned last month. / They reassigned her to the new team.

Q: How do I know when to use "assign" or "reassign" in the workplace?

Use assign when you give someone a task for the first time. Use reassign when you move the task from one person to another. Example: I assigned the report to Alex, but I might reassign it if he’s too busy.

Q: What does "align" mean in Business English?

Align means to make sure people, goals, or plans are moving in the same direction. Example: Let’s align our marketing strategy with the company’s new goals.

Q: How is "sign" different from "resign"?

Sign means you write your name on a document to make it official. Resign means you quit your job. Example: Please sign the contract today. / He resigned after ten years at the company.

Q: What does "consign" mean in business?

Consign means to send goods to another company so they can sell them for you. Example: The store consigned the new collection to a boutique downtown.

Q: Is it correct to say “I was assigned to” or “I was assigned for”?

Use assigned to for people and tasks. Example: I was assigned to manage the client account. She was assigned to the marketing team. They were assigned to handle the new project. Assigned for is only used for a purpose, not a person or task.

Q: Can I say “I aligned with my manager” in a business email?

Yes, that’s natural. It means you discussed something and now share the same understanding or direction. Example: I aligned with my manager on next quarter’s goals.

Q: What’s the noun form of "resign" and "assign"?

Resign → resignation (leaving your job). Assign → assignment (a task or project). Example: Her resignation surprised everyone. / This week’s assignment is due Friday.

Q: How can I remember the difference between these similar verbs?

Group them by action: resign = leave your job; assign/reassign = give or move a task; sign = make it official with your name; align = make plans or goals work in the same direction; consign = send goods for someone else to sell. Connect each verb to a real situation: sign a contract, resign from a job, assign tasks, align goals, consign products.

Q: Are there other confusing verb pairs like raise and rise in Business English?

Yes—pairs like affect/effect, lay/lie, and borrow/lend often cause problems. For raise vs. rise, see: https://www.realbusinessenglish.com/post/raise-vs-rise-examples-quiz

Erin West
Jun 21, 2025
5 min read

Updated: Nov 3, 2025

Business English vocabulary quiz image: sentence gap fill activity for learners — "I’d rather _____ someone else to take care of the logistics" — with four answer options (resign, resigned, assign, assigned). Visual includes a professional man in a business setting. Designed to help users practice common business English vocabulary, phrases, and grammar structures. From www.realbusinessenglish.com.

Welcome to the Business English Vocabulary Quiz!

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Today’s Focus:

Learning the difference between common business English verbs — assign, reassign, align, sign, resign, and consign. These similar-looking verbs have very different meanings, and knowing how to use them correctly will help you sound clear and professional in business communication.

Today’s Challenge:

Imagine this! You’re managing a busy project, and there’s a lot on your plate. The logistics need to be handled, but you'd prefer to delegate that task. You say:

I’d rather _____ someone else to take care of the logistics.

A) resign

B) resigned

C) assign

D) assigned

Pick the best answer and test your Business English Vocabulary!

Let’s take a closer look at what each option means.

RESIGN

verb

to officially leave a job

I decided to resign from my job last month.

He resigned from the company after getting a new offer.

She plans to resign before the end of the year.

ASSIGN

verb

to give someone a task or a job to do

She was assigned to write the monthly report.

He assigned each team member a different role.

The teacher assigned homework for the weekend.

I was assigned to help with the event planning.

I'D RATHER + V1

= I would prefer to do something.

I’d rather stay home tonight.

I’d rather drink tea than coffee.

I’d rather not talk about it.

I’d rather finish this later.

I’d rather call her in the morning.

That's right! The correct answer is C) assign.

Business English Vocabulary: The Difference Between “Resign,” “Assign,” “Align,” and More

Business English vocabulary visual featuring six commonly confused business verbs: resign, assign, align, sign, reassign, and consign. The image shows business professionals shaking hands in a modern office setting. Useful for learners of business English vocabulary, business English learners, and ESL students improving professional communication skills. RealBusinessEnglish.com resource for building strong business English vocabulary with similar-sounding verbs.

In Business English, some verbs sound very similar but have different meanings. It’s important to know how to use them correctly in professional situations. Let's learn the difference between resign, assign, align, sign, reassign, and consign — with simple examples to help you remember them.

Please follow the steps below.

Learn the difference between raise and rise in our quick new guide Raise vs. Rise in Business English: Meaning, Examples, and Quiz

Step 1. Match each verb with the correct definition.

RESIGN /rɪˈzaɪn/	a) to write your name on a document to make it official
ASSIGN /əˈsaɪn/	b) to change the person responsible for a task or project
REASSIGN /ˌriː.əˈsaɪn/	c) to give someone a task or responsibility
SIGN /saɪn/	d) to officially leave a job or position
ALIGN /əˈlaɪn/	e) to send goods to someone for sale or delivery
CONSIGN /kənˈsaɪn/	f) to make plans, ideas, or actions match or work well together

Step 2. Choose the correct option to complete each sentence. Then listen to the sentences.

Step 3. Answer the question below and leave us a comment.

Should managers reassign tasks when someone is too busy, or should employees learn to manage their own time better?

I think managers should reassign some tasks if someone has too much work. Sometimes it’s not their fault. Maybe there are too many projects at the same time. It’s better to share the work so people don’t get stressed and can do a good job.

(Marcus, a project coordinator from Poland with B1-level English proficiency)

Essential Business English Verbs for Work – Free PDF Download

Essential Business English Verbs for Work — illustrated vocabulary poster showing six common verbs used in the workplace: resign, assign, reassign, sign, align, and consign. Each verb includes a short definition and real-life business English example sentence. Perfect for ESL learners, professionals, and students who want to improve their English for work, meetings, and communication. Free Business English verbs PDF available at realbusinessenglish.com.

Business English verbs worksheet for B2 learners — printable ESL activity featuring fill-in-the-blank exercises with 12 essential verbs for work, including assign, resign, maintain, finalize, negotiate, approve, and delegate. Each sentence uses real-life business English situations like meetings, emails, and teamwork. Free downloadable PDF from realbusinessenglish.com to help learners practice professional vocabulary and improve English for the workplace.

ANSWER KEY

Step 1.

resign d)

assign c)

reassign b)

sign a)

align f)

consign e)

Step 2.

1. Please _______ the contract before sending it back.

A) consign

B) align

C) sign

2. After five years at the company, she decided to _______ and look for new opportunities.

A) sign

B) assign

C) resign

3. The shop will _______ the old furniture to a second-hand store.

A) consign

B) assign

C) sign

4. The manager will _______ new tasks on Monday.

A) resign

B) assign

C) consign

5. The company had to _______ some employees to different offices.

A) sign

B) resign

C) reassign

6. We need to _______ our project goals with the client’s expectations.

A) resign

B) align

C) consign

Try the Business English Adjectives Quiz next — quick, useful, and based on real workplace English.

Business English Vocabulary, Vocabulary Quiz, Learn Business English, Download business English resources

FAQ: Commonly Confused Business Verbs

What’s the difference between "resign" and "reassign"?

Resign means you officially leave your job. Reassign means your manager gives your position or tasks to someone else.

She resigned last month. / They reassigned her to the new team.

How do I know when to use "assign" or "reassign" in the workplace?

Use assign when you give someone a task for the first time. Use reassign when you move the task from one person to another.

I assigned the report to Alex, but I might reassign it if he’s too busy.

What does "align" mean in Business English?

Align means to make sure people, goals, or plans are moving in the same direction.

Let’s align our marketing strategy with the company’s new goals.

How is "sign" different from "resign"?

Sign means you write your name on a document to make it official. Resign means you quit your job.

Please sign the contract today. / He resigned after ten years at the company.

What does "consign" mean in business?

Consign means to send goods to another company so they can sell them for you.

The store consigned the new collection to a boutique downtown.

Is it correct to say “I was assigned to” or “I was assigned for”?

Always say assigned to.

I was assigned to manage the client account.
She was assigned to the marketing team.
They were assigned to handle the new project.

Can I say “I aligned with my manager” in a business email?

Yes, that’s natural and common. It means you discussed something and now share the same understanding or direction.

I aligned with my manager on next quarter’s goals.

What’s the noun form of "resign" and "assign"?

The noun of resign is resignation (leaving your job). The noun of assign is assignment (a task or project).

Her resignation surprised everyone. / This week’s assignment is due Friday.

How can I remember the difference between these similar verbs?

Try grouping them by what they do:

resign → you leave your job
assign / reassign → you give or move a task
sign → you make something official with your name
align → you make things work in the same direction
consign → you send goods to someone else to sell

It helps to connect each verb with a real situation. Think: sign a contract, resign from a job, assign tasks, align goals, consign products. When you picture these actions, you’ll remember them easily.

Are there other confusing verb pairs like raise and rise in Business English?

Yes — pairs like affect / effect, lay / lie, and borrow / lend often confuse learners. You can read the next article, Raise vs. Rise in Business English: Meaning, Examples, and Quiz, to learn one of the most common ones.

Erin West is a Business English educator, writer, and founder of RealBusinessEnglish.com. She creates practical lessons, quizzes, and learning materials that help professionals use clear, natural, and confident English at work — with just the right amount of fun.