Wood plank flooring is made from parallel boards of any kind of wood, as opposed to wood pieces arranged in a mosaic or pattern formation (which is listed as parquet flooring). It can be structural (bearing the load of persons and furniture across the floor span) or applied to an underlying floor structure.

The parallel board arrangement is the distinguishing form. Wood species does not determine this choice, and the boards remain wood planks when they are applied as a finish over another supporting floor.

Parquet uses wood pieces in a decorative geometric arrangement such as herringbone. The presence of wood in both materials does not remove the distinction between their layouts.