# plantain

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈplæn.tɪn/ · frequency rank #43,314

## Definitions
1. Any plant of the genus Plantago, with a rosette of sessile leaves about 10 cm (4") long with a narrow part instead of a petiole, and with a spike inflorescence with the flower spacing varying widely among the species. See also psyllium.

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English planteyne, planteyn, from Anglo-Norman plainteine et al., Old French plaintain, from Latin plantāgō, from planta (“sole of the foot”), a nasalized form of Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- (“flat; to spread”), because of the broad, flat shape of the plantain leaves.

## Easily confused with
- **plantar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plantain-vs-plantar)
- **planting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plantain-vs-planting)
- **plantation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plantain-vs-plantation)

## Common misspellings (12)
`lpantain`, `palntain`, `planatin`, `planntain`, `plantainn`, `plantani`, `plantian`, `planttain`, `platnain`, `pllantain`, `plnatain`, `pplantain`

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