What are Cloth, Clothes and Clothing in English? Do they have the same meaning?

What are Cloth, Clothes and Clothing? Do these three words have the same meaning? This is a question that many are curious about in the usage of Cloth, Clothes and Clothing. In today's article, PREP will explain all the related knowledge so that you know how to distinguish these three words accurately!

I. What is Cloth?

What is Cloth? According to the Cambridge dictionary, Cloth is pronounced as /klɑːθ/, this word functions as a noun, meaning: material made by weaving cotton, wool, or other fibers, or a piece of such material. For example:

• The coarseness of the cloth irritated her skin. 
• When you've pinned the pattern onto the cloth, you can start cutting out all the pieces. 

II. What is Clothes?

What is Clothes? According to the Cambridge dictionary, Clothes is pronounced as /kloʊðz/, this word serves as a noun, meaning: things such as dresses and trousers that you wear to cover, protect, or decorate your body. For example:

• Jennie usually wears casual clothes.
• I'm just putting my clothes on. 

Let’s learn some words and phrases that are often associated with Clothes!

III. What is Clothing?

What is Clothing? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Clothing is pronounced as /ˈkloʊ.ðɪŋ/, this word functions as a noun, meaning: clothes of a particular type, especially of a type made to protect the wearer against cold, heat, water, or machinery. For example:

• You can only take three items of clothing into the changing room. 
• Protective clothing must be worn! 

Let’s learn some words and phrases that are often associated with Clothing!

IV. The differences between Cloth, Clothes and Clothing

So what are the differences between Cloth, Clothes and Clothing? Let's learn about them together in the table below:

V. Exercises to differentiate Cloth, Clothes and Clothing

To clearly distinguish the usage of Cloth, Clothes and Clothing, let's complete the two exercises below together!

1. Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer: Cloth, Clothes and Clothing

1. Harry used a soft _______ to wipe the dust off the antique furniture.
   1. Clothes
   2. Clothing
   3. Cloth
2. The tailor selected a high-quality _______ to make the custom suit.
   1. Clothes
   2. Clothing
   3. Cloth
3. She packed her _______ for the weekend trip, including jeans, shirts, and a cozy sweater.
   1. Clothes
   2. Clothing
   3. Cloth
4. Proper protective _______ is essential when working in a chemical laboratory.
   1. Clothes
   2. Clothing
   3. Cloth
5. While shopping, she picked out a beautiful piece of cloth to make _______ for her daughter.
   1. Clothes
   2. Clothing
   3. Cloth

Exercise 2: Find and correct mistakes

1. A delicate clothing covered the table for an elegant dinner setting.
2. After swimming, we changed into dry cloth before heading to the cafe.
3. His closet was full of cloth in various colors and styles.
4. She donated bags of cloths to the local charity for those in need.
5. The store offers a wide selection of cloth items, from formal wear to casual outfits.

2. Answer

Exercise 1:

1. C
2. C
3. A
4. B
5. A

Exercise 2:

1. clothing ➞ cloth
2. cloth ➞ clothes
3. cloth ➞ clothes
4. cloths ➞ clothes
5. cloth ➞ clothing

PREP hopes that the article above has helped you understand the concepts, usage, and differences between Cloth, Clothes and Clothing. Let’s follow PREP to keep learning more quality English knowledge!