Re-sign and resign are a great example of how small spelling changes can create a big difference in meaning.
Re-sign means to sign again. It is often used when someone renews a contract or signs a new agreement with the same team or company.
Resign means to quit or formally leave a job, office, or position.
Examples make the contrast clear:
- The star player will re-sign with the club next season. This means the player will sign a new contract.
- The star player will resign next season. This means the player will leave the position.
The hyphen matters because re is a prefix meaning again. When it is written as re-sign, the word clearly means sign again. Without the hyphen, resign has developed its own separate meaning over time.
This pair is a useful reminder to proofread carefully. In formal writing, business emails, and sports news, one tiny mark can completely change what a sentence says.