What Is the Plural of Euro?
The Quick Answer
The plural of "euro" is "euro" or "euros." In everyday English, "euros" is now the most common plural. (If you're referencing or editing EU legal documentation, copy the version in the original.)The plural of "euro" is most commonly written as "euro" in European Union (EU) legislation, even though this is at odds with the standard way of forming plurals in English. As a consequence of the plural "euro" being embedded in the early legal documentation that saw its launch, "euro" was widely used as the plural in the years after 2002, when most EU countries adopted the euro. These documents provided the precedent for writers searching for an answer to "what is the plural of euro?".
However, as the "euro" became embedded in daily life, less conscious thought was given to its plural, and the plural "euros" quickly overtook "euro" because "euros" sounds far more natural to native English speakers.
EU guidance now recommends that "euros" be used unless editing or quoting the original EU documentation that employs "euro."
- The Council of Ministers Decision No 6/2005 of 22 November 2005 commits 482 million euro to the ninth European Development Fund.
("Euro" was used in early EU legislation.)
- I'm not paying 10 euros for a pint!
("Euros" has overtaken "euro" as the plural because it sounds more natural to native speakers.)
Are You Good at Plurals?
Here's a quick test.The Standard Rules for Forming the Plurals
The table below shows where the plurals "euro" and "euros" fit within the standard rules for forming the plurals of nouns in English.| Type | Example of Type | Forming the Plural | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Nouns | cat scythe |
add s | cats scythes |
| Noun Ending s, sh, ch, x or z | bus dress |
add es | buses dresses |
| Nouns ending [consonant] o | mango zero tomato euro |
add either s or es (There are no rules for this - you have to know.) |
mangoes or mangos zeros tomatoes euros |
| 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 |
| Mass nouns | air rice
|
some nouns do not have a plural form |
air rice |
| Nouns ending f or fe | dwarf knife
|
ves and/or s (There are no rules - you have to know.) |
dwarfs knives |
| Exceptions | goose louse
|
some nouns undergo a vowel or letters change | geese lice |
| More exceptions | salmon sheep euro |
some nouns do not change at all | salmon sheep euro |
Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Euro?
Across the EU – as shown in this Wikipedia entry – there are several different words for "euro" and various plural endings depending on local language rules. As it was in English-speaking countries in the early days of the euro, so the plural of "euro" in several European countries remains "euro" (e.g., Denmark, Holland, Germany). As a result, English speakers routinely hear "euro" as the plural, which promotes its use, even though it is not how most native speakers naturally form the plural.You might also like...
Unusual pluralsPlural forming table
Quirks with forming plurals
Forming the plurals of abbreviations
Forming the plurals of compound nouns
Help us improve...

Was something wrong?

Use #gm to find us quicker.


Create a QR code.
teachers' zone
play:
confidence test on awkward pluralsread:
Forming plural nouns (table) Forming the plurals of compound nouns Apostrophe errors with plurals The plural forms of nouns, verbs, pronouns, etc.lists:
list of 150 awkward English plurals
cat