Plural of Thief
The Quick Answer
The plural of "thief" is "thieves."The Plural of Thief
The plural of "thief" is "thieves."- We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. (Aesop)
- Before they cleaned themselves up, they were thieves, thugs, and junkies.
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 thief |
ves and/or s (There are no rules - you have to know.) |
dwarfs thieves |
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 Thief?
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."
- "Wolf" becomes "wolves."
- "Safe" becomes "safes."
- "Cliff" becomes "cliffs."
- "Scarf" becomes "scarfs" or "scarves."
- "Dwarf" becomes "dwarfs" or "dwarves."
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