Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

laid

/leɪd/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.56 in modern English

Syllables: laid
IPA: /leɪd/

5

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

simple past and past participle of lay

verb

simple past and past participle of lie (“to be oriented in a horizontal position, situated”)

Colloquial

adj

Marked with parallel lines, as if ribbed, from wires in the mould.

name

Etymology

* As an English surname, from Middle English lade (“river crossing”), from Old English gelād, from lād (“canal, watercourse”). * As an Estonian surname, from the noun laid (“holm, islet”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: lade, gelād, -

Usage

Colloquial

Derived Forms

creamlaid spunlaid unlaid

Phrases

deep-laid dry-laid get laid laid rope shroud-laid well-laid

Synonyms

lay lain set

Homonyms

lade

Rhymes With

made home-made played trade paid grade aid afraid stayed decade they'd upgrade

Questions

How do you pronounce laid?: The recorded pronunciation is /leɪd/.
What does laid mean?: simple past and past participle of lay
Where does laid come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce laid

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “laid”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/leɪd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “laid”.
Repeat and practice — Say “laid” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.