Plural of Life
The Quick Answer
The plural of "life" is "lives."The Plural of Life
The plural of "life" is "lives."- Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. (Martin Luther King Jr)
- Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must live. (Charles Bukowski)
Table of Contents
- Are You Good at Plurals?
- The Standard Rules for Forming the Plurals
- Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Life?
- Ready for the Test?
Are You Good at Plurals?
Here's a quick test.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 | lamp scythe |
add s | lamps scythes |
Noun Ending s, sh, ch, x or z | bus dress |
add es | buses 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 | storey () donkey |
add s | storeys donkeys |
Nouns ending f or fe | dwarf life |
ves and/or s (There are no rules - you have to know.) |
dwarfs lives |
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 |
Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Life?
There is confusion because the rule for forming plurals with nouns ending in "f" or "fe" isn't straightforward. Most nouns will drop the "f" or "fe" and gain a "ves." For example:- "Knife" becomes "knives."
- "Leaf" becomes "leaves."
- "Safe" becomes "safes."
- "Chief" becomes "chiefs."
- "Scarf" becomes "scarfs" or "scarves."
- "Dwarf" becomes "dwarfs" or "dwarves."
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