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(ordered by seriousness) Top Tip
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for your browser ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists Tests and Games Awkward Plurals Sayings and Proverbs Twitter YouTube
Plural of Donkey
The Quick Answer
The plural of donkey is donkeys.The Plural of Donkey
The plural of donkey is donkeys. For example:- It's hard for the donkeys to win the race if they're going to carry the elephants on their backs. (Jim Hightower)
- I spent my childhood playing in the woods, falling in ponds, getting chased by wasps, and riding donkeys that I shouldn't have been riding. (Jo Brand)
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 | ![]() ![]() |
add s | ![]() ![]() |
Noun Ending s, sh, ch, x or z | ![]() ![]() |
add es | ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending [consonant] o | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
add either s or es (There are no rules for this - you have to know.) |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending [vowel] o | ![]() ![]() |
add s | ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending [consonant] y | ![]() ![]() |
change the y to an i and add es | ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending [vowel] y | ![]() ![]() |
add s | ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending f or fe | ![]() ![]() |
ves and/or s (There are no rules - you have to know.) |
![]() ![]() |
Exceptions | ![]() ![]() |
some nouns undergo a vowel or letters change | ![]() ![]() |
More exceptions | ![]() ![]() |
some nouns do not change at all | ![]() ![]() |
Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Donkey?
Donkeys is the only way to make the noun donkey plural.Confusion arises because some people mistakenly believe that all nouns ending in "y" should form a plural ending in "ies". When a noun ends with [vowel] + y, you only need to add an "s" to form the plural.
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