assign

Name: assign, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/əˈsaɪn/

//əˈsaɪn// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“assign” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,836 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#11,836
frequency rank, English: 6
letters: 7
tracked misspellings: 5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To designate or set apart (something) for some purpose.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

assign vs assist

67% similar

assign vs assigned

75% similar

assign vs Asian

50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for assign
Property	Value
Headword	assign
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/əˈsaɪn/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#11,836
Misspellings tracked	7
Confusable pairs	5
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “assign” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). assign lands here:

#11,836

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for assign is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈsaɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,836 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for assign, with forms such as "asign", "asisgn", and "assgin". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "assist", "assigned", "Asian", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin signō Latin assignōlbor. Old French assignerbor. Middle English assignen English assign From Middle English assignen, from Old French assigner, asigner, from Latin a… The correct English form is assign, spelled A-S-S-I-G-N.

Definition

1
To designate or set apart (something) for some purpose.
2
To appoint or select (someone) for some office.
3
To allot or give (something) as a task.
4
To attribute or sort (something) into categories.
5
To attribute or sort (something) into categories.
6
To transfer (property, a legal right, etc.) from one person to another.
7
To give (a value) to a variable.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin signō Latin assignōlbor. Old French assignerbor. Middle English assignen English assign From Middle English assignen, from Old French assigner, asigner, from Latin assignō, from ad- + signō (“mark, sign”).

Synonyms

allocate earmark set apart consign convey transfer

This word in other languages

asignar(Español)désigner(Français)zuweisen(Deutsch)designar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: asign,asisgn,assgin,assiggn,assignn,assing,sasign

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of assign - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Edit distance from "assign"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "assign"?

"assign" is spelled A-S-S-I-G-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈsaɪn/.

What does "assign" mean?

As a verb, "assign" means: To designate or set apart (something) for some purpose.

What words are commonly confused with "assign"?

"assign" is commonly confused with "assist", "assigned", "Asian". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "assign"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "assign" is /əˈsaɪn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What is the origin of the word "assign"?

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin signō Latin assignōlbor. Old French assignerbor. Middle English assignen English assign From Middle English assignen, from Old French assigner, asigner, fr... See the full etymology section above for more details.

Is PlainSpell free to use?

Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “assign”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is A-S-S-I-G-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /əˈsaɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “assist” - see the side-by-side comparison. assign vs assist
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.