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Prepositions after align

"align with" or "align to"?

Align with is the standard choice for agreement, matching, or coordination. Align to appears mainly in technical, physical, or organisational contexts.

Quick answer

Align with vs. align to

Use align with for agreement or consistency: Our goals align with the strategy. Align to is less common and usually means position something according to a line, rule, or technical standard.

Their policies align with company values
The design aligns with the brand image
Please align the text to the left margin

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
align with + plan/value/person

Show agreement or consistency

Use align with when ideas, goals, or actions match each other.

The proposal aligns with our priorities
2
align to + standard/edge

Position something technically or physically

Align to is mainly used for physical arrangement or technical settings.

The graphic should align to the grid
3
be aligned with + objective

Describe an existing match or connection

The passive form aligned with is common in business and academic English.

Our training is aligned with industry standards

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
align with
Her actions align with the organisation's mission.
Standard pattern for agreement or consistency.
align to
Align the image to the centre of the page.
Used mainly for physical or technical positioning.
aligned with
The curriculum is aligned with national guidelines.
Common passive form showing correspondence.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using align to for agreement

Align with is more natural for shared goals or opinions.

✕ My views align to yours. ✓ My views align with yours.

Using with for physical positioning in software instructions

Technical instructions often use align to.

✕ Align the icon with the left edge. ✓ Align the icon to the left edge.

Forgetting the object after align

Align usually needs a person, idea, edge, or standard after it.

✓ The strategy aligns with customer expectations.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Our marketing plan aligns ___ the company's long-term goals.
2. Please align the table ___ the right margin.
3. The course is aligned ___ industry standards.

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Frequently asked questions

Which is more common: align with or align to?

Align with is more common in general English.

When is align to appropriate?

It is often used for physical, visual, or technical positioning.

Can I say aligned with?

Yes. The passive form aligned with is very common.

abandon, by, abandon, in "abduct by", "abduct in" or "abduct from"? abide by, in, with, to or on? "abolish in" or "abolish by"? "abound in" or "abound with"? "absorb by", "absorb into" or "absorb in"? "accelerate by", "accelerate to" or "accelerate in"? accentuate by, with, in or under? accept by, in, as, for or into? "accommodate in", "accommodate for" or "accommodate to"? "accomplish by" or "accomplish in"? "accord to" or "accord with"?

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