The Grammar Guide Spelling What is the difference between 'filed' and 'field'?

What is the difference between 'filed' and 'field'?

What is the difference between 'filed' and 'field'?

The words filed and field are often confused by writers. We'll explain the difference.

Field means a land area free of woodland, cities, and towns; open country when used as a noun.

Filed means put away in a file, organized when used as a verb.

A good way to remember the difference is Filed is the past tense of File.

Out of the two words, 'field' is the most common. It appears about 10 times more frequently than 'filed'.



It's easy to mix up words that have the same letters in a different order. Field and filed are examples of words that are easy to misstype.

Field is a noun. It means "a large, grassy area." There are usually no buildings or trees in a field. It can also refer to outdoor areas where sports like soccer, baseballl, and football are played.

*Filed is the past participle of the verb "to file." It can mean to whittle down or sharpen with a file tool. It can also mean to organize or put things in a file.

Is the phrase 'filed amicus curiae briefs' or 'field amicus curiae briefs'?

The correct expression is 'filed amicus curiae briefs'. These phrases are often confused by writers.

Should I use 'amicus curiae briefs filed' or 'amicus curiae briefs field'?

The correct phrase is 'amicus curiae briefs filed'. These phrases are often confused by writers.

Is the expression 'amicus curiae brief filed' or 'amicus curiae brief field'?

The right phrase is 'amicus curiae brief filed'. These phrases are often confused by writers.

Is the phrase 'income tax returns filed' or 'income tax returns field'?

The correct phrase is 'income tax returns filed'. These phrases are often confused by writers.

Is the correct expression 'play the field' or 'play the filed'?

The correct phrase is 'play the field'. These phrases are often confused by writers.

Should I use 'see the whole field' or 'see the whole filed'?

You should use 'see the whole field'. These phrases are often confused by writers.

What's the right phrase 'playing the field' or 'playing the filed'?

The right expression is 'playing the field'. These phrases are often confused by writers.

Is the correct expression 'Level playing field' or 'Level playing filed'?

The correct expression is 'Level playing field'. These phrases are often confused by writers.

Some synonyms of filed are: entered, processed, organized, whittled, sharpened

Some synonyms of field are: plain, pasture, garden

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Examples of filed in a sentence

She started to retreat as the guests filed in.
- Secret Weapon Spouse by B. J. Daniels
THE NEXT DAY would get filed under What the Hell Was I Thinking?
- Cross by James Patterson
They filed down the small hallway, took a left and entered what was probably the master bedroom.
- Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden
And why I’ve never filed a 1040.
- The Haunted Air by F. Paul Wilson
He stood as still as a stone between them and the exit while people filed past.
- The Hound of Rowan by Henry H. Neff

Examples of field in a sentence

The tiny field of hairs bent gently.
- From Russia with love: a James Bond novel by Ian Fleming
The spook squad would have a field day with this one.
- Beyond belief by Roy Johansen
The word ‘croft’ comes from the Gaelic coirtean, meaning a small enclosed field.
- Death of an Outsider by M. C. Beaton
She entered “Portman” in the last name field, ‘Tara’ in the first, and hit enter.
- The Haunted Air by F. Paul Wilson
A spark kindles in his gaze just then, as if lightning is scanning the field of his consciousness.
- Grand Junction by Maurice G. Dantec

Test yourself

Choose the missing word in each question.