Velvet is a smooth, soft fabric with a thick, short pile: a velvet dress, velvet curtains. Before a noun, velvet means “made of velvet”. The fabric with raised ridges is corduroy, often just cord in British English, and corduroy trousers are cords. In some languages, a word that sounds like velvet is used for corduroy, so the two are easy to mix up.
velvet: will you get the meaning right?
Write a sentence — we'll check that the word fits the meaning and explain any mistakes.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
velvet + dress/jacket/curtains/sofa; made of velvet; velvety + skin/voice
- She wore a dark green velvet dress to the New Year party.
- The old cinema still has red velvet seats and gold walls.
- This sofa is velvet, so please keep the cat away from it.
What changed
First versionI bought a velvet jacket with thick ribs for the autumn.
RevisionI bought a corduroy jacket with thick ribs for the autumn.
Velvet has no ridges. The fabric with long lines of raised pile is corduroy. Only the name of the fabric was changed.
Velvety means “like velvet”: it describes things that only feel or look like it. Compare: a velvet cushion is made of velvet, while a velvety peach is just smooth to the touch. People say the same about a voice: a velvety voice.
Your turn
My brown ___ trousers have thick ribs and keep me warm on autumn walks.
Show the answer
corduroy — Thick ribs are the main feature of corduroy. Velvet is smooth with no ridges, so trousers with thick ribs can't be called velvet.
Describe a fabric item you remember: clothes, curtains or furniture. Say what fabric it's made of and where you wear or see it.
My favourite thing is a black velvet jacket that I wear to the theatre and to birthday dinners.
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.