Plural of Larva

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The Quick Answer
The plural of larva is larvae.

The Plural of Larva

The plural of larva is larvae.
  • Larvae are constantly feeding since maturation requires a huge amount of energy and food.
  • Moisture is essential for the survival of flea larvae.
The noun larva has a Latin root, which is the derivation of the plural larvae.

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The Standard Rules for Forming the Plurals

The table below shows the standard rules for forming the plurals of nouns in English.
Type Example of Type Forming the Plural Plural
Most Nouns kitten
scythe		 add s kittens
scythes
Noun Ending s, sh, ch, x or z box
dress		 add es boxes
dresses
Nouns ending [consonant] o hero
zero
tomato		 add either s or es
(There are no rules for this - you have to know.)		 heroes
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 donkey
chimney 		add s donkeys
chimneys
Nouns ending f or fe dwarf
hoof 		ves and/or s
(There are no rules - you have to know.)		 dwarfs
hooves or hoofs
Exceptions man
louse 		some nouns undergo a vowel or letters change men
lice
More exceptions salmon
sheep 		some nouns do not change at all salmon
sheep
Foreign rulings larva
medium 		some nouns adopt foreign rulings larvae
media

Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Larva?

Confusion arises over the plural of larva because its plural form (larvae) derives from Latin and native English speakers feel compelled to write larvas. The larvas is considered a mistake. (See the evidence in Google's Ngram Viewer.)
Another Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from another exercise on plurals, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.

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See Also

Unusual pluralsPlural forming table Quirks with forming plurals Forming the plurals of abbreviations Forming the plurals of compound nouns