earmark vs assign

earmark is a noun but assign is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
earmark	Yes	No	Yes	No
assign	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, assign is a hypernym of earmark; that is, assign is a word with a broader meaning than earmark:

Other hypernyms of earmark include allot, portion.

earmark (noun)	assign (noun)
a distinctive characteristic or attribute of someone or something
identification mark on the ear of a domestic animal

earmark (verb)	assign (verb)
give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause	select something or someone for a specific purpose
	attribute or credit to
	decide as to where something belongs in a scheme
	attribute or give
	transfer one's right to
	give out
	make undue claims to having
	give an assignment to (a person) to a post, or assign a task to (a person)