Align

How to spell align

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce align

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does align mean?

1. verbTo place or arrange things in a straight line, or to bring them into agreement or correct position.

Align in a sentence

• The engineer used a laser to align the shelves perfectly.

• The two departments need to align their goals before the launch.

Where does align come from?

Language of origin: French

This word comes from the French verb aligner, which was built from the phrase à ligne, meaning 'to a line' or 'into line'. The ligne part traces back to the Latin linea, a 'linen thread' or 'string', the very tool a builder or surveyor would stretch taut to set things in a straight row; linea itself came from linum, meaning 'flax' or 'linen'. English adopted the word in the eighteenth century, at first in the literal sense of arranging objects along a straight line, before it broadened to the modern figurative idea of bringing people, policies, or interests into agreement. The hidden 'g' is the spelling trap: it is silent and inherited straight from the French ligne, so writers who spell by ear are tempted to leave it out. The same Latin linea also gives us 'line', 'linear', and 'lineage', which is a handy way to remember why that g belongs there.

How the word is built

• a- (to, from French à)
• lign (line, from Latin linea)