design and plan share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. design means “the act of working out the form of something (as by making a sketch or outline or plan)”. plan means “have the will and intention to carry out some action”. plan is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/dɪˈzaɪn/
1.n.the act of working out the form of something (as by making a sketch or outline or plan)
“he contributed to the design of a new instrument”
2.n.an arrangement scheme
“the awkward design of the keyboard made operation difficult”
3.n.something intended as a guide for making something else
“a blueprint for a house”
/ˈplæn/
1.v.have the will and intention to carry out some action
“He plans to be in graduate school next year”
2.v.make plans for something
“He is planning a trip with his family”
3.v.make or work out a plan for; devise
“They contrived to murder their boss”
| design | plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /dɪˈzaɪn/ | /ˈplæn/ |
| Said | di-ZAHYN | plan |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 14 | 7 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | designing | be after |
Full entry for design · Full entry for plan · More comparisons