What Is the Plural of Emoji?
The Quick Answer
The plural of "emoji" is "emojis."- Emojis provide the emotional cues that are otherwise missing from text conversations.
- The popular texting app WhatsApp stores the emojis you use most often under the clock icon.
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 [consonant] i | taxi emoji |
add s |
taxis emojis |
Nouns ending [vowel] o | patio ratio |
add s | patios ratios |
Nouns ending [consonant] y | story belly |
change the y to an i and add es | stories bellies |
Nouns ending [vowel] y | valley chimney |
add s | valleys 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 |
Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Emoji?
"Emojis" is the best way to make the noun "emoji" plural.For decades, there has been a debate over whether the plural of "emoji" is "emojis" or just "emoji." That debate is now over. The accepted plural is "emojis."
"Emoji" is a Japanese word, and, as the Japanese language does not recognize plurals, this is the basis for the argument for "emoji" being the plural. However, there are many Japanese words in English (e.g., "tsunami"), and they are pluralized using English rules. In other words, the plural of "tsunami" is "tsunamis."
Some dictionaries still list "emoji" as a recognized plural for "emoji," but updates to these dictionaries are gradually removing "emoji" as an accepted plural.
Of note, Emojipedia (the web's largest emoji reference site) uses the "-s" pluralization.
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