"Number the items" or "rank the items"? [closed]
Can "rank" and "number" be used interchangeably when they mean "put in the order" as in the example below:
"Please, number the items from your favorite to your least favorite." "Please rank the items from your favorite to your least favorite."
In this example, "number" is a specific way of "ranking" the group.
You could rank the group by using a letter grade, or by "good, neutral, bad" groups. But if you specify to number them, it is clear you expect each to have their own number value.