What Is the Plural of Volcano?
The Quick Answer
The plural of "volcano" is "volcanoes" or "volcanos."- The study of volcanoes is called volcanology.
- Volcanos are often considered to be extinct if there are no written records of its activity.
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 | volcano zero tomato |
add either s or es (There are no rules for this - you have to know.) |
volcanoes or volcanos 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 | storey () donkey |
add s | storeys donkeys |
Nouns ending f or fe | dwarf knife |
ves and/or s (There are no rules - you have to know.) |
dwarfs knives |
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 Volcano?
There is confusion because the rule for forming plurals with nouns ending in "o" isn't straightforward. Most nouns will just add an "s." For example:- "Kangaroo" becomes "kangaroos."
- "Piano" becomes "pianos."
- "Embargo" becomes "embargoes."
- "Torpedo" becomes "torpedoes."
- "Halo" becomes "haloes" or "halos."
- "Echo" becomes "echoes" or "echos."
Even though "volcanoes" and "volcanos" are both accepted plurals, "volcanoes" is by far the more common of the two. (See the difference in Google's Ngram Viewer.)
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Unusual pluralsPlural forming table
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Forming the plurals of compound nouns
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