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Clothes, cloth, or clothing
Clothes is what you wear, always plural; clothing is clothes as a group, and uncountable; cloth is fabric or a piece of it for cleaning.
Quick rule
What you wear: clothes (plural verb). Clothes as a group: clothing (singular verb). Fabric or rag: cloth.
What you wear. It is a plural noun: my clothes are. There is no singular form.
Fabric, the material things are made from, or a piece of fabric used for cleaning. It does not mean what you wear.
Clothes in general, as a group. It is uncountable; one garment is an item of clothing.
How to choose
| Question | clothes | cloth | clothing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can you say "a ___" with it alone? | No | Yes | No |
| Is it the fabric or rag used to make or clean something? | No | Yes | No |
| Do you say "a piece of ___" or "an item of ___" for one garment? | No | No | Yes |
| Does it always take a plural verb (___ are)? | Yes | SometimesSometimes | No |
Why it trips people up
Clothes, clothing and cloth share the same letters, and the pronunciations blur together. Clothes and clothing are what you wear; cloth is fabric. The difference between the first two is grammar: clothes is plural, clothing is uncountable.
How they sound
Clothes often sounds like close (the th is faint). Cloth ends in a clear th. Clothing keeps a voiced th in the middle.
- clothes/kloʊz/
- cloth/klɔːθ/
- clothing/ˈkloʊðɪŋ/
How each one works
Clothes
A person's things to wear
I packed my clothes in two bags.
Plural verb: clothes are
Those clothes are too small for her now.
change your clothes: get dressed again
She changed her clothes after the game.
Cloth
A piece of fabric for cleaning
Wipe the table with a damp cloth.
The material, uncountable
The curtains are made of thick cotton cloth.
Fabric by the meter
She bought two meters of blue cloth for the dress.
Clothing
Clothes as a category
This store sells clothing for all ages.
Singular verb: clothing is
Warm clothing is expensive in the mountains.
item of: one garment
A scarf is an item of clothing for your neck.
What comes next
clothes plus are or were
Her clothes were still wet.
clothing plus is (singular verb)
Children's clothing is on the second floor.
a cloth, or cloth with no article
Use a soft cloth for the screen.
Set phrases
Clothes
- put on your clothes
- wear what you have chosen
- clothes dryer
- a machine that dries wet clothes
Cloth
- tablecloth
- a cloth that covers a table
Clothing
- outdoor clothing
- clothes made for walking or working outside
Almost the same
Your clothes are on the bed.
Several things you wear.
Your clothing is on the bed.
Clothes as a group, uncounted.
Your cloth is on the bed.
A piece of fabric; not clothes.
In a conversation
- A:
Is your bag packed for the trip?
- B:
Almost. My clothes are in the suitcase, but I need warm clothing too.
- A:
Take a coat and gloves. The mountains get cold.
- B:
Good idea. I also packed a soft cloth for my camera.
- A:
Smart. Dust ruins lenses.
- B:
See you at the station at six.
Common mistakes
Wrong: She wore her best cloths to the party.
Right: She wore her best clothes to the party.
Cloth is fabric. What you wear is clothes, and it ends with a voiced sound.
Wrong: I need a few clothings.
Right: I need some clothing.
Clothing is uncountable, so it has no plural. Say some clothing or a few clothes.
Memory trick
One garment is an item of clothing. Several things you wear are clothes, with a plural verb. Fabric or a cleaning rag is cloth.
It depends
- Clothes and close
- Oxford gives two pronunciations for clothes: /kloʊz/, like close, and /kloʊðz/.
- Cloth: countable or not
- A cloth is a rag for cleaning; cloth with no article is the fabric.
FAQ
Clothes vs clothing: what is the difference?
Clothes is plural and takes a plural verb. Clothing is uncountable and takes a singular verb.
Clothes vs cloth?
Clothes are what you wear. Cloth is fabric, or a rag for cleaning.
Is there a singular of clothes?
No. For one garment say an item of clothing or name it: a shirt.