Aligning anchor points from 2 overlapping paths

I'm new to Illustrator so forgive my question.
I have 2 overlapping paths that I would like to line up perfectly. I've tweaked the points and their direction lines, but can't get the curves to match exactly. How can I get them aligned? Thanks.

Cynthia,
Are you saying you have two
partially overlapping paths, and want to remove the overlapping portion, so that the two paths abut along a common edge? If so...
First, realize that for print, that is not usually necessary. If one filled path partially hides another, when you print, what you see is what you get, so long as there is no overprinting or transparency involved.
If there is some reason you
do need the edges to abut with no overlap (as in plotter / cutter work in which the paths will be used to manufacture objects) there are several ways to accomplish that. Familiarize yourself with the controls in the Pathfinder palette. You can use the top path to "cookie cut" the lower path by selecting both paths and then AltClicking the SubtractFromShapeArea button. That removes the top path (the one being used as the cookie cutter). So often, you first copy the top path and then PasteInFront to give you a copy of the top path to use it for the cookie cutter.
Alternatively, if the two paths are filled with different colors, but have no strokes, you can select the two paths and click the Merge button.
Pathfinder operations like that are fairly reliable in the shapes they yield. If you need dead-certain accuracy that the "shared" edges are identical, it is not uncommon to cut the two paths to isolate the "shared" edge as a single, separate path. Then clone that path in place (Copy, PasteInFront), then join the rest of the other two paths to the two identical paths.
JET

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