Plain vs. Plane — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 16, 2023
Plain refers to something clear, simple, or a flat area of land, while plane is either a tool for smoothing wood, a flat surface, or an aircraft.
Difference Between Plain and Plane
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Plain" can refer to an area of flat, level land, usually with few trees, distinct from "plane," which in one of its meanings refers to a flat surface, level or not, especially in geometry. When "plane" is used in the context of an aircraft, it denotes a whole different category, unrelated to any meaning of "plain."
In another context, "plain" can refer to something clear or understandable, or lacking any embellishments or decorations; it's used to describe simplicity and clarity. On the other hand, "plane" can refer to a carpenter’s tool for smoothing or flattening wood, a concept entirely different from any definition of "plain."
"Plain" also has a use in describing something ordinary or not special, emphasizing the lack of features that would make it interesting or extraordinary, unlike "plane," which doesn't have a meaning associated with ordinariness or simplicity, but rather connects with flatness, levelness, or aviation.
In terms of language usage, "plain" can sometimes be used in a subjective manner to imply something is unattractive or too simple, like plain food or plain clothing. In contrast, "plane" is a more objective term, referring specifically to either a level surface, a tool, or an aircraft, without subjective connotations.
When people talk about "plain" in the context of sight, it's usually about visibility or clarity, as in 'plain view' or 'plain sight,' meaning easily seen or understood. "Plane," however, takes a different turn in perspective, as it might relate to a dimension of existence or thought in metaphysical discussions, like 'astral plane' or 'physical plane.'
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Comparison Chart
Meaning
Clear/simple; flat land
Carpenter's tool; flat surface; aircraft
Part of Speech
Adjective/noun
Noun
Contextual Use
Simplicity, clarity, or ordinariness
Flatness, smoothing, aviation, or metaphysical dimensions
Subjectivity
Can be subjective (e.g., unattractive, too simple)
Generally objective
Associations
Visibility, openness
Levelness, travel, craftsmanship
Compare with Definitions
Plain
Not decorated or elaborate; simple or basic in character.
He wore a plain white shirt.
Plane
A tool with an adjustable blade for smoothing or shaping wood.
He used a plane to smooth the tabletop.
Plain
Flat, level land with few or no trees.
They crossed the plain in covered wagons.
Plane
A level of existence, thought, or development.
Meditation can help you access a higher spiritual plane.
Plain
Unadorned or unembellished; straightforward.
She preferred a plain style of writing.
Plane
(Mathematics) A surface containing all the straight lines that connect any two points on it.
Plain
In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and are primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands.In a valley, a plain is enclosed on two sides, but in other cases a plain may be delineated by a complete or partial ring of hills, by mountains, or by cliffs.
Plane
A flat or level surface.
Plain
Not decorated or elaborate; simple or basic in character
Everyone dined at a plain wooden table
Good plain food
Plane
A level of development, existence, or achievement
Scholarship on a high plane.
Plain
Having no pretensions; not remarkable or special
A plain, honest man with no nonsense about him
Plane
An airplane or hydroplane.
Plain
Easy to perceive or understand; clear
The advantages were plain to see
It was plain that something was wrong
Plane
A supporting surface of an airplane; an airfoil or wing.
Plain
(of a person) not beautiful or attractive
A plain, round-faced woman
Plane
A carpenter's tool with an adjustable blade for smoothing and leveling wood.
Plain
Sheer; simple (used for emphasis)
The main problem is just plain exhaustion
Plane
A trowel-shaped tool for smoothing the surface of clay, sand, or plaster in a mold.
Plain
Denoting or relating to a type of knitting stitch produced by putting the needle through the front of each stitch from left to right.
Plane
The plane tree.
Plain
Used for emphasis
Perhaps the youth was just plain stupid
Plane
(Mathematics) Of or being a figure lying in a plane
A plane curve.
Plain
Clearly or unequivocally
I'm finished with you, I'll tell you plain
Plane
Flat; level.
Plain
A large area of flat land with few trees
The coastal plain
Plane
To smooth or finish with a plane
Planed the door.
Plain
Mourn or lament.
Plane
To remove with a plane
Plane off the rough edges on a board.
Plain
Free from obstructions; open; clear
In plain view.
Plane
To work with a plane.
Plain
Obvious to the perception or mind; evident
Make one's intention plain.
Plane
To rise partly out of the water, as a hydroplane does at high speeds.
Plain
Not elaborate or complicated; simple
Plain food.
Plane
To soar or glide.
Plain
Marked by little or no ornamentation or decoration
Plain garb.
Plane
To travel by airplane.
Plain
Straightforward; frank or candid
Plain talk.
Plane
Of a surface: flat or level.
Plain
Not pretentious; unaffected.
Plane
A level or flat surface.
Plain
Lacking beauty or distinction
A plain face.
Plane
(geometry) A flat surface extending infinitely in all directions (e.g. horizontal or vertical plane). Category:en:Surfaces
Plain
Not mixed with other substances; pure
Plain water.
Plane
(anatomy) An imaginary plane which divides the body into two portions.
Plain
Common in rank or station; average; ordinary
A plain man.
Plane
A level of existence or development.
Astral plane
Plain
Not dyed, twilled, or patterned
A plain fabric.
Plane
A roughly flat, thin, often moveable structure used to create lateral force by the flow of air or water over its surface, found on aircraft, submarines, etc. (Compare airfoil, hydrofoil.)}}
Plain
Sheer; utter; unqualified
Plain stupidity.
Plane
Any of 17 designated ranges of 216 (65,536) sequential code points each.
Plain
(Archaic) Having no visible elevation or depression; flat; level.
Plane
A tool for smoothing wood by removing thin layers from the surface.
Plain
Often plains An extensive, level, usually treeless area of land.
Plane
An airplane; an aeroplane.
Plain
A broad level expanse, as a part of the sea floor or a lunar mare.
Plane
(entomology) Any of various nymphalid butterflies, of various genera, having a slow gliding flight.
Plain
Something free of ornamentation or extraneous matter.
Plane
(entomology) The butterfly Bindahara phocides, family Lycaenidae, of Asia and Australasia.
Plain
Clearly; simply
Plain stubborn.
Plane
(countable) A deciduous tree of the genus Platanus.
Plain
Flat, level.
Plane
(Northern UK) A sycamore.
Plain
Simple, unaltered.
Plane
To smooth (wood) with a plane.
Plain
Ordinary; lacking adornment or ornamentation; unembellished.
He was dressed simply in plain black clothes.
A plain tune
Plane
To move in a way that lifts the bow out of the water.
Plain
Of just one colour; lacking a pattern.
A plain pink polycotton skirt
Plane
To glide or soar.
Plain
Simple in habits or qualities; unsophisticated, not exceptional, ordinary.
They're just plain people like you or me.
Plane
Any tree of the genus Platanus.
Plain
(of food) Having only few ingredients, or no additional ingredients or seasonings; not elaborate, without toppings or extras.
Would you like a poppy bagel or a plain bagel?
Plane
A surface, real or imaginary, in which, if any two points are taken, the straight line which joins them lies wholly in that surface; or a surface, any section of which by a like surface is a straight line; a surface without curvature.
Plain
(computing) Containing no extended or nonprinting characters (especially in plain text).
Plane
An ideal surface, conceived as coinciding with, or containing, some designated astronomical line, circle, or other curve; as, the plane of an orbit; the plane of the ecliptic, or of the equator.
Plain
Obvious.
Plane
A block or plate having a perfectly flat surface, used as a standard of flatness; a surface plate.
Plain
Evident to one's senses or reason; manifest, clear, unmistakable.
Plane
A tool for smoothing boards or other surfaces of wood, for forming moldings, etc. It consists of a smooth-soled stock, usually of wood, from the under side or face of which projects slightly the steel cutting edge of a chisel, called the iron, which inclines backward, with an apperture in front for the escape of shavings; as, the jack plane; the smoothing plane; the molding plane, etc.
Plain
Downright; total, unmistakable (as intensifier).
His answer was just plain nonsense.
Plane
Without elevations or depressions; even; level; flat; lying in, or constituting, a plane; as, a plane surface.
Plain
Open.
Plane
To make smooth; to level; to pare off the inequalities of the surface of, as of a board or other piece of wood, by the use of a plane; as, to plane a plank.
Plain
Honest and without deception; candid, open; blunt.
Let me be plain with you: I don't like her.
Plane
To efface or remove.
He planed away the names . . . written on his tables.
Plain
Clear; unencumbered; equal; fair.
Plane
Figuratively, to make plain or smooth.
What student came but that you planed her path.
Plain
Not unusually beautiful; unattractive.
Throughout high school she worried that she had a rather plain face.
Plane
Of a boat, to lift more or less out of the water while in motion, after the manner of a hydroplane; to hydroplane.
Plain
(card games) Not a trump.
Plane
An aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets;
The flight was delayed due to trouble with the airplane
Plain
(obsolete) Full, complete in number or extent.
Plane
(mathematics) an unbounded two-dimensional shape;
We will refer to the plane of the graph as the X-Y plane
Any line joining two points on a plane lies wholly on that plane
Plain
(colloquial) Simply.
It was just plain stupid.
I plain forgot.
Plane
A level of existence or development;
He lived on a worldly plane
Plain
(archaic) Plainly; distinctly.
Tell me plain: do you love me or no?
Plane
A power tool for smoothing or shaping wood
Plain
A lamentation.
Plane
A carpenter's hand tool with an adjustable blade for smoothing or shaping wood;
The cabinetmaker used a plane for the finish work
Plain
An expanse of land with relatively low relief, usually exclusive of forests, deserts, and wastelands.
Plane
Cut or remove with or as if with a plane;
The machine shaved off fine layers from the piece of wood
Plain
(archaic) field in reference to a battlefield.
Plane
Travel on the surface of water
Plain
(obsolete) plane: a flat geometric field.
Plane
Make even or smooth, with or as with a carpenter's plane;
Plane the top of the door
Plain
To complain.
Plane
Having a horizontal surface in which no part is higher or lower than another;
A flat desk
Acres of level farmland
A plane surface
Plain
To lament, bewail.
To plain a loss
Plane
A flat surface on which a straight line joining any two points lies entirely on that surface.
The artist drew a complex shape, all on one plane.
Plain
To level; to raze; to make plain or even on the surface.
Plane
An aircraft that flies through the air.
The plane took off as soon as the storm cleared.
Plain
To make plain or manifest; to explain.
Plane
In mathematics, a two-dimensional flat surface extending infinitely far.
We learned about the properties of a geometric plane in class.
Plain
To lament; to bewail; to complain.
We with piteous heart unto you pleyne.
Plain
To lament; to mourn over; as, to plain a loss.
Plain
To plane or level; to make plain or even on the surface.
We would rake Europe rather, plain the East.
Plain
To make plain or manifest; to explain.
What's dumb in show, I'll plain in speech.
Plain
Without elevations or depressions; flat; level; smooth; even. See Plane.
The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.
Plain
Open; clear; unencumbered; equal; fair.
Our troops beat an army in plain fight.
Plain
Not intricate or difficult; evident; manifest; obvious; clear; unmistakable.
Plain
Void of extraneous beauty or ornament; without conspicious embellishment; not rich; simple.
Plain
In a plain manner; plainly.
Plain
Level land; usually, an open field or a broad stretch of land with an even surface, or a surface little varied by inequalities; as, the plain of Jordan; the American plains, or prairies.
Descending fro the mountain into playn.
Him the AmmoniteWorshiped in Rabba and her watery plain.
Plain
A field of battle.
Lead forth my soldiers to the plain.
Plain
Extensive tract of level open land;
They emerged from the woods onto a vast open plain
He longed for the fields of his youth
Plain
A basic knitting stitch
Plain
Express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness;
My mother complains all day
She has a lot to kick about
Plain
Clearly apparent or obvious to the mind or senses;
The effects of the drought are apparent to anyone who sees the parched fields
Evident hostility
Manifest disapproval
Patent advantages
Made his meaning plain
It is plain that he is no reactionary
In plain view
Plain
Not elaborate or elaborated; simple;
Plain food
Stuck to the plain facts
A plain blue suit
A plain rectangular brick building
Plain
Lacking patterns especially in color
Plain
Not mixed with extraneous elements;
Plain water
Sheer wine
Not an unmixed blessing
Plain
Free from any effort to soften to disguise;
The plain and unvarnished truth
The unvarnished candor of old people and children
Plain
Lacking embellishment or ornamentation;
A plain hair style
Unembellished white walls
Functional architecture featuring stark unornamented concrete
Plain
Lacking stylistic embellishment;
A literal description
Wrote good but plain prose
A plain unadorned account of the coronation
A forthright unembellished style
Plain
Comprehensible to the general public;
Written for the popular press in plain nontechnical language
Plain
Lacking in physical beauty or proportion;
A homely child
Several of the buildings were downright homely
A plain girl with a freckled face
Plain
Unmistakably (`plain' is often used informally for `plainly');
The answer is obviously wrong
She was in bed and evidently in great pain
He was manifestly too important to leave off the guest list
It is all patently nonsense
She has apparently been living here for some time
I thought he owned the property, but apparently not
You are plainly wrong
He is plain stubborn
Plain
Easier to perceive or understand; clear.
Her guilt was plain to see.
Plain
Lacking any beautifying details; ordinary.
The room was furnished in plain, unassuming furniture.
Common Curiosities
Does "plane" always refer to an aircraft?
No, "plane" can also mean a flat surface or a carpenter's tool.
Can "plain" have a negative connotation?
Sometimes, "plain" might imply something is uninteresting or unattractive.
Is a geometric plane the same as a physical one?
No, a geometric plane is an abstract, two-dimensional surface.
Can "plain" be a noun?
Yes, referring to a flat area of land.
Is "plane" used in mathematics?
Yes, it refers to an infinitely extending, two-dimensional flat surface.
Can "plain" refer to something other than flat land?
Yes, "plain" can describe simplicity, clarity, or something ordinary.
What does "plane" mean in spiritual contexts?
It refers to a level of existence or consciousness, like "astral plane."
Is "plain" used in expressions?
Yes, like "plain as day," meaning "very clear."
Can "plain" describe a type of food?
Yes, "plain" food is usually simple and without heavy sauces or spices.
What's a "plane" in woodworking?
It's a tool used to smooth or shape wood surfaces.
What's the origin of "plain" in the context of simplicity?
It comes from the Latin "planus," meaning "clear" or "simple."
Can "plane" be a verb?
Yes, it means to smooth wood using a plane tool.
Are there synonyms for "plain" in the context of simplicity?
Yes, like "simple," "unadorned," or "basic."
Are "plane" and "plain" homophones?
Yes, they sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.
Does "plain" refer to clarity in understanding?
Yes, if something is "plain to see," it's easy to understand.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
