With cloths vs clothes, are they just alternate spellings, or is one a misspelling of the other? Actually, they’re two different words, with cloths always a noun for a fabric used to cover or clean. Clothes can be a noun (things you wear) or (to clothe) a verb (putting clothes on).
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What Are Clothes?
Clothes are what you put on when you get dressed (pants, trousers, shirt, skirts, and other articles of clothing. This word (clothe) can also denote the act of dressing. In the former case, it’s a noun (plural); in the latter, it’s a verb (present tense of “to clothe”).
The word comes from the Old English clāthas, which is the plural of clāth (cloth). At some point, the spelling changed, and we got the two separate words this article covers.
Fun Fact: You can also use clothes as a verb indicating the creation of an aura or persona. For example, you can say someone clothes herself in an air of secrecy.
Examples:
- Please pick up the dirty clothes from the floor.
- That unscrupulous man almost literally clothes himself in deceit.
- She usually clothes herself in darker colors.
- Make sure your clothes are appropriate for the setting.
- That mother clothes her children identically so they’re easier to keep track of in public.
Synonyms Of Clothes
Synonyms provide variety and sometimes a more precise term in speech and writing. Fortunately, the word clothes has a lot of synonyms. The following are just a few.
- Clothing
- Garments
- Attire
- Dresses
- Wears
What Are Cloths?
The word cloths is simply the plural of cloth. It is a fabric woven from cotton, linen, silk, wool, or another fiber that can be used to cover things (think tablecloth), wipe up spills, and, of course, make clothes.
Another meaning refers to a clergy member. For example, it’s common to hear a priest referred to as a “man of the cloth.”
The origin of cloth is the same as that for the word clothes: Old English clāth (cloth).
Examples:
- I need some soft cloth to clean my screens and sunglasses.
- There’s a pile of cloth in the corner; you can use them for cleaning up.
- When the cloth I ordered arrives, I’m going to make some tee shirts.
- During our long vacation, we covered our furniture with cloth so it wouldn’t get too dusty.
- Some criminals cover their faces with cloth to avoid being identified.
Synonyms Of Cloths
Like clothes, the word cloths has several synonyms. Following are some examples.
- Fabrics
- Textiles
- Wipes
- Rags
- Materials
What’s the Difference?
Although the two words share the same etymology, they have evolved to have different meanings.
Clothes is a noun referring to the garments people wear. As a verb, it’s the present tense way of saying someone is putting clothing on themself or another person.
As we’ve also seen, it can also be a verb that has nothing to do with getting dressed. Example: “He clothes himself with an aura of superiority.”
On the other hand, cloths is always a noun. It indicates two or more pieces of fabric that can be used in a number of ways, including for clothing.
Tip: They also have different pronunciations. The word clothes has a long o sound, as in blow. In cloths, the o has a sound like that in off.
When and How to Use Clothes?
Remember that clothes are what you put on yourself or someone else when dressing. It’s also the action of putting clothes on.
Is clothes plural, with the singular being cloth? No. Clothes is grammatically plural and can refer to multiple pieces of clothing. However, it can also be collective by referring to a group of pieces of clothing.
Fun Fact: The word “clothing” is considered an uncountable noun.
When and How to Use Cloths?
To review, cloths is just the plural of cloth. Technically, you could clothe yourself in cloths, but cloths are really separate pieces of fabric. So saying, “Please cloth yourself before exiting the bathroom” would sound odd.
Trick to Remembering Which Word to Use
To avoid confusion with cloths vs clothes, try these tips:
- If going to a formal dinner, would you show up in a table cloth or, worse, a loincloth? No, you would go in nice clothes!
- Without clothes, all of you would be exposed for the world to see.
Final Thoughts
Using cloths vs clothes shouldn’t present too much of a dilemma. Remember that “cloths” (the plural form of cloth) is a noun and means pieces of fabric. On the other hand, clothes can be a noun or a verb (clothe), and it refers to clothing or apparel that you wear or to putting clothing on.
