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Business English Vocabulary: Commonly Confused Business Verbs (with Quiz)
- Erin West
- Jun 21
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Welcome to the Business English Vocabulary Quiz!
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!
Did you get it right?
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.
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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
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.
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 put things in the same position or direction; to make them agree |
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Step 2. Choose the correct option to complete each sentence.
Step 3. Answer the question below and leave us a comment.
Do you think it’s important to align your personal goals with your company’s goals? Why or why not?
ANSWER KEY
Step 1.
resign d)
assign c)
reassign b)
sign a)
align f)
consign e)
Step 2.
After five years at the company, she decided to _resign_ and look for new opportunities.
A) sign
B) assign
C) resign
The manager will _assign_ new tasks to the team on Monday.
A) resign
B) assign
C) consign
Please _sign_ the contract before sending it back.
A) consign
B) align
C) sign
The company had to _reassign_ some employees to different offices.
A) sign
B) resign
C) reassign
We need to _align_ our project goals with the client’s expectations.
A) resign
B) align
C) consign
The shop will _consign_ the old furniture to a second-hand store.
A) consign
B) assign
C) sign
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