Layout Is One Word; Lay Out Is Two
A layout is an arrangement. The noun is one word and the verb two, which is the rule for a whole class of English pairs.
A layout is the way something is arranged. The spacing rule is consistent across English: the noun closes up, the verb stays open. You *lay out* a page and admire the *layout*; you *set up* a stall and check the *setup*; you *log in* to a site using your *login*. Getting it wrong is the commonest error in this whole class of words.
- An arrangement. *A clean layout.*
- A design plan. *The factory layout.*
- Lay out — to arrange. *Lay out the tools.*
- To spend (informal). *He laid out a fortune.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | layout | A page layout. |
| Plural | layouts | Two layouts. |
| Phrasal verb | lay out | Lay out the plan. |
| Past | laid out | Neatly laid out. |
| Related | setup | A simple setup. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Lay out the pieces, then check the layout.Verb and noun in one sentence.
- The layout is confusing.Noun: one word.
- Laid, not layed.The past tense of lay.
Verb and noun pairs
- lay out / layout
- set up / setup
- log in / login
- back up / backup
- check out / checkout
From the phrasal verb *lay out*. *Lay* comes from Old English *lecgan*, the causative of *licgan*, to lie.
Lay or lie?
Lay takes an object: you lay a book down. Lie does not: you lie down. The past of lay is laid; the past of lie is lay, which is why everyone gets confused.
Layout or lay-out?
Layout, one word, is now standard for the noun. The hyphenated form is old-fashioned.