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Plane or Plain?
Plane or Plain?
What is the difference between "plane" and "plain"?- "Plane" usually means an airplane, a flat surface, or a tool for shaving wood. For example:
- "Plain" usually means simple or an expanse of lowland. For example:


More about "Plane" and "Plain"
The words "plane" and "plain" have several meanings. Unfortunately, both have a meaning relating to flatness, and this is often the source of confusion.Plain
The word "plain" has three main meanings:(1) Simple (i.e., not elaborate).
- a plain girl
- a plain cake
- a plain colour
- It is plain to see.
- It seems quite plain to me.
(3) An expanse of level and low land.
- The Russian Plain.
- I joined the Chinese farmers as they attempted to drive the yaks across the plain in western China.
Plane
The word "plane" has six main meanings:(1) An airplane.
- What time is your plane?
(2) A flat surface (especially in mathematics).
- In a 3D space, a plane can be defined by specifying a point and a normal vector to the plane.
- I was hoping for a conversion on a higher plane.

(5) To shave wood into shape.
- Can you plane a few inches off the top of the door?
- The car hit the puddle and planed straight into the back of the lorry.
Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?