Arrange ASSIGN, ASSOCIATE, ASSIST, ASSISTANT and ASSIGNMENT in dictionary order and select the correct sequence.

Introduction / Context:
This question deals with dictionary order of closely related words: ASSIGN, ASSOCIATE, ASSIST, ASSISTANT and ASSIGNMENT. All words begin with “ASS”, and some share even longer prefixes, which makes ordering them slightly more delicate. Such questions are classic in verbal reasoning and check whether you can handle alphabetical comparisons when words look very similar. Being systematic is essential to avoid confusion.

Given Data / Assumptions:
Index mapping:
1: ASSIGN
2: ASSOCIATE
3: ASSIST
4: ASSISTANT
5: ASSIGNMENT
Options are sequences like 1,5,3,4,2 that represent possible dictionary orders.
We assume normal English alphabetical rules and that shorter words come before longer words when one is a complete prefix of the other.

Concept / Approach:
First, notice that all words share the starting letters “ASS”. After that, it is easiest to compare the next letters systematically. Words ASSIGN and ASSIGNMENT share the prefix “ASSIGN”, while ASSIST and ASSISTANT share “ASSIST”. ASSOCIATE, starting with “ASSO”, is structurally different and will naturally fall into place based on its letters. Within each prefix family, the shorter word appears before its longer extension.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Compare ASSIGN (1) and ASSOCIATE (2). ASSIGN is A S S I G N. ASSOCIATE is A S S O C I A T E. Both start with ASS, but I in ASSIGN comes before O in ASSOCIATE. Therefore ASSIGN (1) comes before ASSOCIATE (2). Step 2: Compare ASSIGN (1) with ASSIGNMENT (5). ASSIGNMENT is A S S I G N M E N T. ASSIGN is a complete prefix of ASSIGNMENT. Thus the shorter word ASSIGN (1) must come before ASSIGNMENT (5). Step 3: Compare ASSIST (3) and ASSISTANT (4). ASSIST is A S S I S T. ASSISTANT is A S S I S T A N T. ASSIST is a complete prefix of ASSISTANT. Therefore ASSIST (3) comes before ASSISTANT (4). Step 4: Merge all groups in correct order. First come the ASSIGN family words: ASSIGN (1) followed by ASSIGNMENT (5). Next come the ASSIST family words: ASSIST (3) then ASSISTANT (4). Finally comes ASSOCIATE (2), since the O in ASSO comes after the I in ASSI. Thus the overall order is 1, 5, 3, 4, 2.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can list the words explicitly in this order: ASSIGN, ASSIGNMENT, ASSIST, ASSISTANT, ASSOCIATE. Checking the first four letters, ASSI precedes ASSO, so all words starting with ASSI must come before ASSOCIATE. Inside ASSIGN and ASSIGNMENT, the shorter form appears first, and similarly for ASSIST and ASSISTANT. No other option respects all these comparisons simultaneously, so the sequence 1,5,3,4,2 stands as the only correct dictionary order among the options given.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Any option that places ASSOCIATE before ASSIGN or ASSIST ignores that ASSO follows ASSI alphabetically.
Options that list ASSIGNMENT before ASSIGN violate the rule that a shorter word appears before its longer extension when they share a complete prefix.
Sequences that put ASSISTANT before ASSIST ignore the same prefix rule for the ASSIST pair.
Therefore only 1,5,3,4,2 obeys all dictionary rules consistently.

Common Pitfalls:
It is very easy to be misled by the visual similarity of these words and to rely on intuition instead of systematic comparison. Many examinees also forget the prefix rule and mistakenly think that longer words look more complete and therefore should come earlier. Another frequent error is misreading or miswriting the index sequence after correctly thinking through the order of words. To prevent this, always map the words to their indices carefully as a final step.

Final Answer:
The correct dictionary order is ASSIGN, ASSIGNMENT, ASSIST, ASSISTANT, ASSOCIATE, which corresponds to the sequence 1,5,3,4,2.