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Plurals of words ending in O

created by Protector of Mankind

(idea) by Protector of Mankind (28 s) (print)   ?   1 C! I like it! Mon Jul 17 2000 at 15:59:09

The plurals of words ending in -o are formed by either adding -s or by adding -es. The plurals of many words can be formed either way. To determine whether a particular word ends in -s or -es (or if the word can be spelled either way), check your the list below and if you have to check your dictionary. There are two helpful rules:

a. All words that end in a vowel plus -o (-ao, -eo, -io, -oo, -uo) have plurals that end in just -s:
  • stereo--stereos
  • studio--studios
  • duo--duos

b. All musical terms ending in -o have plurals ending in just -s.

  • piano--pianos
  • cello--cellos (I have been told that the plural for cello is actually, celli)
  • solo--solos

c. Plural forms of words ending in -o:

-os -oes -os or -oes
albinos
armadillos
autos
bravos
broncos
cantos
casinos
combos
gazebos
infernos
kimonos
logos
maraschinos
ponchos
sombreros
tacos
torsos
tobaccos
typos
echoes
embargoes
heroes
Negroes
potatoes
tomatoes
torpedoes
vetoes
avocados/oes
buffaloes/os
cargoes/os
desperadoes/os
dodoes/os
dominoes/os
ghettos/oes
grottoes/os
hoboes/os
innuendoes/os
Purdue University Writing Lab 2000

(person) by Footprints (1.8 hr) (print)   ?   I like it! Mon Jul 17 2000 at 16:08:39

This has to have a Dan Quayle link to it. Of course, it's a pity that Dan wasn't linked to this before he corrected that poor schoolboy.

(idea) by rp (4.5 d) (print)   ?   I like it! Mon Jul 17 2000 at 17:30:23

The above makes sense if you happen to be discussing English. The following can be said about my mother tongue, Dutch:

Words on -o generally take 's for a plural: auto's, piano's, dodo's, libero's, foto's, gekko's, hobo's. The only exception I can think of is protozoën, which, incidentally, also takes its original Greek plural, protozoa.


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