*Layed or Laid | Correct Spelling & Examples

Layed is a misspelling of laid, the past tense of lay. Layed is always wrong, and laid is always correct.

Layed or laid examples
  • I laid the book on the table.
  • I layed the book on the table.

Laid or layed

Laid is the past tense of the verb “lay,” meaning “to put down.” Layed is a misspelling of laid.

This error probably comes from people mistaking “lay” as a regular verb and adding “-ed” to erroneously form the simple past. However, “lay” is an irregular verb, which is why its past tense is laid.

Laid or layed examples
  • The children laid their scarves on the sofa.
  • The children layed their scarves on the sofa.
  • My company laid me off last week.
  • My company layed me off last week.
  • I laid out the pamphlets on the table near the entrance.
  • I layed out the pamphlets on the table near the entrance.
Note
“Lay” is used in various phrasal verbs (e.g., “lay out,” “lay off,” and “lay down”). Regardless of whether “lay” is used alone or in a phrasal verb, the past tense is always laid.

A QuillBot Grammar Check can make sure you always use laid and never layed.

Lay or lie

People also often make mistakes when choosing to use lay or lie.

“Lie” is a verb that means “to recline or rest” or “to intentionally say something false.” Laid is sometimes incorrectly used as the past tense or past participle of “lie.”

Choosing lay or lie
Lay Lie Lie
Meaning To put down To rest or recline To intentionally say something false
Verb type Transitive (takes a direct object) Intransitive (no direct object) Intransitive
Regular or irregular Irregular Irregular Regular
Simple present  We lay our jackets here every day. I usually lie down after lunch. The child lies all the time.
Simple past The designer laid the fabric over my shoulders. Yesterday, I lay on the beach enjoying the sun. Jack lied to me last week about the report.
Present participle He is laying the baby in the crib. He has been lying in bed all day. She was lying, and I knew it.
Past participle They’ve already laid the groundwork for the project. She’s lain on the couch all day binge-watching TV. You’ve already lied to me twice.

Frequently asked questions about layed or laid

Is it laid out or layed out?

The past tense of lay out is laid out. “Layed out” is not correct in standard English because laid is the past tense of lay.

Laid out means “spread out,” “present,” or (informally) “knock out, render unconscious.”

The QuillBot Grammar Checker lets you make sure you are using the correct past tense of “lay out.”

 

Is it layed off or laid off?

When someone loses their job, or is made redundant, then they are laid off. “Layed” isn’t a word in standard English.

Lay is an irregular verb, so it doesn’t add “-ed” to form the past tenses. Laid is both the simple past tense form and past participle of lay.

The QuillBot Grammar Checker will help you ensure that you are using the past tense of lay correctly.

Is it laid down or layed down?

Layed down” is not correct in standard English. If a person is laying something down, the correct past tense is laid down because laid is the past tense of lay.

Luke laid the pane of glass down very carefully.
Steve had laid down the first layer of concrete yesterday.

If the person is lying themselves down, then the correct spelling is lay down (simple past) or lain down (past participle).

Nikita lay down and fell asleep immediately.
Pam had lain down ages ago but still couldn’t sleep.

You can use the QuillBot Grammar Checker to make sure you are using the correct verb and past tense form.

https://quillbot.com/blog/frequently-asked-questions/is-it-laid-down-or-layed-down/

Is layed a word?

No, layed isn’t a word in standard English. The past tense of the verb lay is laid. Lay is an irregular verb, so it doesn’t add “-ed” to form the past tenses. It is a transitive verb and always needs a direct object to make sense.

Laid is the simple past tense form of lay and is used to describe actions that have already taken place (e.g., “Colleen laid out a pencil and paper pad for each delegate”).

Laid is also the past participle, used for perfect tenses and the passive voice (e.g., “The cable had been laid carefully where no one would trip over it”).

You can use the QuillBot Grammar Checker to ensure you are using the correct past tense of lay.

What’s the meaning of laid off?

“Laid off” is a phrasal verb that means “to stop employing someone,” usually due to a lack of work.

For example:

  • I was laid off last spring.
  • The company laid off 20 employees.

“Laid off” is always spelled like this, as “laid” is the past tense of the verb “lay.” Layed is never correct.

QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can make sure you use “laid off” correctly in your writing.

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Kate Santoro, BS

Kate has a BS in journalism. She has taught English as a second language in Spain to students of all ages for a decade. She also has experience in content management and marketing.