What Is the Plural of Elf?
The Quick Answer
The plural of "elf" is "elves."- A world in which elves exist and magic works offers greater opportunities to digress and explore. (Terry Brooks)
- In A Midsummer Night's Dream, the elves are almost as small as insects.
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 elf |
ves and/or s (There are no rules - you have to know.) |
dwarfs elves |
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 Elf?
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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