# plaza

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈplɑːzə/ · frequency rank #8,186

## Definitions
1. A town's public square.
2. An open area used for gathering in a city, often having small trees and sitting benches.
3. A strip mall.
4. A shopping mall.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish plaza (“town-square or central place of gathering”), from Latin platea, from Ancient Greek πλατεῖα (plateîa), clipping of πλατεῖα ὁδός (plateîa hodós, “broad way”). Doublet of piatza, piazza, and place.

## Easily confused with
- **plea** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaza-vs-plea)
- **Praia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaza-vs-praia)
- **PLA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pla-vs-plaza)
- **Paz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paz-vs-plaza)
- **play** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/play-vs-plaza)
- **plan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plan-vs-plaza)
- **papa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/papa-vs-plaza)
- **plat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plat-vs-plaza)
- **pala** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pala-vs-plaza)
- **place** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/place-vs-plaza)
- **plans** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plans-vs-plaza)
- **plant** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plant-vs-plaza)
- **plays** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plays-vs-plaza)
- **plane** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plane-vs-plaza)
- **plate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plate-vs-plaza)
- **pizza** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pizza-vs-plaza)
- **plain** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plain-vs-plaza)
- **plank** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plank-vs-plaza)
- **Plato** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plato-vs-plaza)
- **plaid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plaid-vs-plaza)

## Common misspellings (7)
`lpaza`, `palza`, `plaaz`, `plazza`, `pllaza`, `plzaa`, `pplaza`

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