Plural of Ox
The Quick Answer
The plural of "ox" is "oxen."The Plural of Ox
The plural of "ox" is "oxen."- Oxen are thought to have first been harnessed and put to work around 4000 BC.
- Steers are not regarded as fully grown until the age of 4, when they become known as oxen.
Table of Contents
- Are You Good at Plurals?
- The Standard Rules for Forming the Plurals
- Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Ox?
- 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 | dog scythe |
add s | dogs 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 - 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 | ox medium |
some nouns adopt foreign rulings | oxen media |
Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Ox?
Confusion arises over the plural of "ox" ("oxen") because it derives from German. Native English speakers are drawn to "oxes," which adheres to the standard ruling for forming plurals.Learning Resources
play:
match the pairs (parts of speech) hundreds more games and testslists:
parts-of-speech listsmore actions: