# place

> English word · Noun · IPA /pleɪs/ · frequency rank #187

## Definitions
1. An area; somewhere within an area.
2. An area; somewhere within an area.
3. An area; somewhere within an area.
4. An area; somewhere within an area.
5. An area; somewhere within an area.
6. An area; somewhere within an area.
7. An area; somewhere within an area.
8. An area; somewhere within an area.
9. An area; somewhere within an area.
10. A location or position in space.
11. A particular location in a book or document, particularly the current location of a reader
12. A passage or extract from a book or document.
13. A topic.
14. A state of mind.
15. A chess position; a square of the chessboard.
16. A responsibility or position in an organization.
17. A responsibility or position in an organization.
18. A responsibility or position in an organization.
19. A responsibility or position in an organization.
20. A fortified position: a fortress, citadel, or walled town.
21. Numerically, the column counting a certain quantity.
22. Ordinal relation; position in the order of proceeding.
23. Reception; effect; implying the making room for.

## Etymology
From Middle English place, conflation of Old English plæċe (“place, an open space, street”) and Old French place (“place, an open space”), both from Latin platēa (“plaza, wide street”), from Ancient Greek πλατεῖα (plateîa), shortening of πλατεῖα ὁδός (plateîa hodós, “broad way”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- (“to spread”), extended form of *pleh₂- (“flat”). Displaced native Old English stōw, stede (partially), and -ern. Compare also English pleck (“plot of ground”), West Frisian plak (“place, spot, location”), Dutch plek (“place, spot, patch”). Doublet of piatza, piazza, and plaza.
In the etymological chain from Latin platēa, note Old French place, which has multiple descendants — including German Platz, itself with many descendants (e.g., Russian плац (plac)). Also note a more distant chain node Ancient Greek πλατύς (platús), whence English Plato and English plate (via Latin).

## Easily confused with
- **PLC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plc)
- **play** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-play)
- **plan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plan)
- **plat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plat)
- **price** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-price)
- **plans** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plans)
- **plant** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plant)
- **plays** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plays)
- **plane** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plane)
- **plate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plate)
- **plain** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plain)
- **plaza** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plaza)
- **plank** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plank)
- **Plato** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plato)
- **plaid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plaid)
- **plume** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plume)
- **playa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-playa)
- **pluck** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-pluck)
- **platt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-platt)
- **plano** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plano)

## Common misspellings (7)
`lpace`, `palce`, `placce`, `plaec`, `plcae`, `pllace`, `pplace`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/place