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Plural of Rhinoceros
The Quick Answer
The plural of rhinoceros is rhinoceros or rhinoceroses.The Plural of Rhinoceros
The original and most common plural of rhinoceros is rhinoceros, but rhinoceroses, which adheres to the standard rules for forming plurals in English, is also commonly used.- Weighing around 600kg, Sumatran rhinoceros are the smallest. White rhinoceros are the largest, weighing up to 3,500kg.
- Male rhinoceroses are called "bulls" and female rhinoceroses are called "cows." Their young are "calves."

What about "Rhinoceri"?
The noun rhinoceros has a Greek root. More specifically, it comes from the Greek word rhinokeros (nose-horned), which is an amalgam of rhis (nose) and keras (horn). As rhinoceros derives from Greek, there is no justification for the plural rhinoceri, which would be a Latin-style plural.What about "Rhinocerotes"?
In recognition of its Greek root, some academics opt for the plural rhinocerotes, but, put simply, this is not an English word. It is not the English plural of rhinoceros.What about "Rhino"?
The word rhino is a common alternative for rhinoceros. With rhino, there is no debate. The plural is rhinos. If your text is informal enough to use rhinos, go for it. Easy life.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 | ![]() ![]() |
add s | ![]() ![]() |
Noun Ending s, sh, ch, x or z | ![]() ![]() |
add es | ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending [consonant] o | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
add either s or es (There are no rules for this - you have to know.) |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending [vowel] o | ![]() ![]() |
add s | ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending [consonant] y | ![]() ![]() |
change the y to an i and add es | ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending [vowel] y | ![]() ![]() |
add s | ![]() ![]() |
Nouns ending f or fe | ![]() ![]() |
ves and/or s (There are no rules - you have to know.) |
![]() ![]() |
Exceptions | ![]() ![]() |
some nouns undergo a vowel or letters change | ![]() ![]() |
More exceptions | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
some nouns do not change at all | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Foreign rulings | ![]() ![]() |
some nouns adopt foreign rulings | ![]() ![]() |
Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Rhinoceros?
Confusion arises over the plural of rhinoceros because the erroneously assigned Latin plural rhinoceri grew in popularity, most probably because it sounds funny and clever. The original plural of rhinoceros was simply rhinoceros (i.e., no change), but native English speakers are more drawn to rhinoceroses, which adheres to the standard ruling for forming plurals.Rhinoceros is more common than rhinoceroses. [evidence]
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