Plural of Ox

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The Plural of Ox

The plural of "ox" is "oxen."

• Oxen are thought to have first been harnessed and put to work around 4000 BC.
• Steers are not regarded as fully grown until the age of 4, when they become known as oxen.

In English, most words ending in x will form their plural by adding -es to the word. The noun "ox" is an exception to this ruling. It has a Germanic root, which is the derivation of the plural "oxen." After the 14th century, many words began to adopt the -s and -es way of forming plurals. Today, only a few en-forms survive; the most common are oxen and children.

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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	dog scythe	add s	dogs scythes
Noun Ending s, sh, ch, x or z	box dress	add es	boxes dresses
Nouns ending [consonant] o	hero zero tomato	add either s or es (There are no rules - 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	donkey chimney	add s	donkeys 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
Foreign rulings	ox medium	some nouns adopt foreign rulings	oxen media

Read more about English spelling rules.

Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Ox?

Confusion arises over the plural of "ox" ("oxen") because it derives from German. Native English speakers are drawn to "oxes," which adheres to the standard ruling for forming plurals.

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