# plaid

> English word · Noun · IPA /pled/ · frequency rank #18,918

## Definitions
1. A type of twilled woollen cloth, often with a tartan or chequered pattern.
2. A length of such material used as a piece of clothing, formerly worn in the Scottish Highlands and other parts of northern Britain and remaining as an item of ceremonial dress worn by members of Scottish pipe bands.
3. The typical chequered pattern of a plaid; tartan.

## Etymology
From Scots plaid, of uncertain origin; perhaps from a past participle form of ply. Scottish Gaelic plaide (“blanket”) is probably a borrowing from Scots.
Also compare Scottish Gaelic peall (“covering, veil, blanket”) << Latin pellis (“hide, covering”), but the OED finds the sound changes problematic.

## Easily confused with
- **play** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-play)
- **plan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plan)
- **plat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plat)
- **pled** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-pled)
- **plans** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plans)
- **plant** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plant)
- **plays** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plays)
- **plane** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plane)
- **plate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plate)
- **plain** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plain)
- **plaza** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plaza)
- **plead** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plead)
- **plank** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plank)
- **Plato** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plato)
- **playa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-playa)
- **platt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-platt)
- **plano** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plano)
- **Praia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-praia)
- **plied** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plied)
- **played** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-played)

## Common misspellings (7)
`lpaid`, `palid`, `pladi`, `plaidd`, `pliad`, `pllaid`, `pplaid`

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