Which to use
“reigns” is a noun and “resign” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,621
- “reigns” frequency rank
- #7,490
- “resign” frequency rank
- 22111
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | reigns | resign |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of reign | To give up; to relinquish ownership of. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set reigns and resign apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: reigns is /ɹeɪnz/ while resign is /ɹɪˈzaɪn/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they are an anagram pair: the same letters reordered, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22111, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
reigns is recorded at frequency rank #14,621, classified as anoun, pronounced /ɹeɪnz/. resign is at rank #7,490, tagged as averb, pronounced /ɹɪˈzaɪn/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 22111, this pair ranks #419,006 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of reigns vs resign
Shared letters: eginrs. Private to "reigns": -. Private to "resign": -.
"reigns" · 6 letters · shape CVVCCC · "resign" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "reigns" and "resign" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "reigns" or "resign"?
Remembering reigns vs resign
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “reigns”; for a verb, it's “resign”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “reigns” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable