Plural of Kiwi
The Quick Answer
The plural of "kiwi" is "kiwis" or, less commonly, "kiwi."The Plural of Kiwi
The most common plural of "kiwi" is "kiwis":- Named after the flightless kiwi bird, New Zealanders overseas and at home are commonly referred to as Kiwis.
- Kiwis (also called kiwifruits or Chinese gooseberries) are available year-round because they keep well in cold storage.
- Kiwi are more closely related to the extinct Malagasy elephant birds than to the moa.
Are You Good at Plurals?
Here's a quick test.The Standard Rules for Forming the Plurals
The table below shows where the plural of "kiwi" fits within the standard rules for forming the plurals of nouns in English.Type | Example of Type | Forming the Plural | Plural |
---|---|---|---|
Most Nouns | kiwi scythe |
add s | kiwis scythes |
Noun Ending s, sh, ch, x or z | bus dress |
add es | buses dresses |
Nouns ending [consonant] o | mango zero tomato |
add either s or es (There are no rules for this - you have to know.) |
mangoes or mangos zeros tomatoes |
Nouns ending [vowel] o | patio ratio |
add s | patios ratios |
Nouns ending [consonant] y | story penny |
change the y to an i and add es | stories pennies |
Nouns ending [vowel] y | storey () donkey |
add s | storeys donkeys |
Nouns ending f or fe | dwarf knife |
ves and/or s (There are no rules - you have to know.) |
dwarfs knives |
Exceptions | man louse |
some nouns undergo a vowel or letters change |
men lice |
More exceptions | kiwi salmon sheep |
some nouns do not change at all | kiwi (This version is now considered obsolete.) salmon sheep |
Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Kiwi?
There is confusion because "kiwi" has two acceptable plurals: "kiwi" and "kiwis." [evidence]Also, inexperienced writers often feel compelled to pluralize a noun ending with a vowel (e.g., piano, tomato, emu) by adding apostrophe "s".
Adding 's is never an option when forming the plural of a noun.
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