layed

verb

"layed" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“layed” is uncommon English (frequency #55,549 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,549
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - simple past and past participle of lay

Corpus desk

Index EN-layed · layed · English

layed · rank #55,549 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #55,549
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Lani

Nearest frequency peer: Lani (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “layed”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “layed” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for layed
PropertyValue
Headwordlayed
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters5
Frequency rank#55,549
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “layed” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).layedfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Lani” (#55,548), “ladylike” (#55,545), “leu” (#55,554). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “layed” is #55,549. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

layed is uncommon English at frequency #55,549 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "simple past and past participle of lay".

No generated misspelling entries exist for layed in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is layed, spelled L-A-Y-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    simple past and past participle of lay

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how layed appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Therefore proceeding upon our grounds before layed; to wit, that no body can be moved of it self; we may determine those motions to be naturall unto bodies which have constant causes, or percutients to make them alwayes in such bodies: […]

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "layed"?
"layed" is spelled L-A-Y-E-D.
What does "layed" mean?
As a verb, "layed" means: simple past and past participle of lay
What language does "layed" come from?
"layed" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "layed", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list