Top Pages
A-Z glossary
punctuation
A-Z confused words
common mistakes
(ordered by seriousness) Top Tip
Get a grammar checker
for your browser vocabulary for learners tests and games awkward plurals sayings and proverbs tattoo fails our Twitter page our YouTube channel
(ordered by seriousness) Top Tip
Get a grammar checker
for your browser vocabulary for learners tests and games awkward plurals sayings and proverbs tattoo fails our Twitter page our YouTube channel
Plural of Key
Search...
The Quick Answer
The plural of key is keys.The Plural of Key
The plural of key is keys.- Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks. (Doug Larson)
- One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory. (Rita Mae Brown)
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 | key chimney
|
add s | keys 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 Key?
Keys is the only way to make the noun key 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.
Another Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from another exercise on plurals, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?