When you are talking about more than one kind or species of fish, both ‘fish’ and ‘fishes‘ are ok to use. There are many different fishes in our pond.
When did the plural of fish become fishes?
As a plural noun, fish is actually the newer term, but, according to the OED, it has been in use since at least 1300, and is now the more common plural form. As a verb, to fish is to capture aquatic animals through any of several methods.
Why is fish not plural?
For some nouns, like fish, there is no difference between the singular form and the plural form. Sometimes, however, people do use regular plural endings for irregular nouns, so in casual conversation you may hear fishes or elks. Some English words come from Latin, and take a Latinate plural ending.
Is it OK to say fishes?
The plural of fish is usually fish. When referring to more than one species of fish, especially in a scientific context, you can use fishes as the plural.
What is plural from of fish? – Related Questions
Are fishes a word?
Let’s Review. Fish and fishes are correct spellings and serve as a noun in both singular and plural forms or as a verb. Fish is an acceptable use to describe a single fish or any group of fish. Fishes is used to describe multiple species of fish collectively and is more scientific.
Why is fish not countable?
Fish? Fish is both countable and uncountable depending on whether you mean the animal – I see three fish – or the food – I eat lots of fish. This is not the only noun like this, so be careful!
Why is shrimp not plural?
Shrimp is not a collective noun, a word for a group of individuals taken as a whole. If you order a shrimp you will not receive multiple individual crustaceans. Some examples of a collective nouns are family, flock, and group. The word you are looking for is invariant noun—a word that doesn’t change when made plural.
Which is correct fish is or fish are?
Both can be correct. You’d use fish is if you were referring to a single fish, you’d use fish are if you were referring to a group of fish of the same species and you’d use fishes are if you were referring to groups of fish of different species.
Is 10 fish singular or plural?
No matter how many fish you have, the word “fish” doesn’t change. It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking about a school of fish or the number of fish in that school. The plural form of the word fish is fish.
What is a group of fish?
A group of mixed species of fish is called a “shoal”.
A group of fish that are not the same species is called a shoal of fish. The word ‘shoal’ also comes from the Dutch word ‘schole’.
Is it many fish or much fish?
Both “many” and “much” can be used, depending on context. Your sentences are both correct and are likely to be understood, although #2 (“much”) does, to me at least, sound a bit odd. They could be interpreted as follows. How many fish did you catch yesterday?
What are the 5 rules of plurals?
Plural noun rules
- To make regular nouns plural, add –s to the end.
- If the singular noun ends in –s, –ss, –sh, –ch, –x, or –z, add -es to the end to make it plural.
- In some cases, singular nouns ending in –s or –z require that you double the –s or –z prior to adding the –es for pluralization.
What is the plural of deer?
Word forms: deerlanguage note: Deer is both the singular and the plural form. A deer is a large wild animal that eats grass and leaves.
What is the plural of sheep?
sheep (plural sheep) sheep (woolly ruminant of the genus Ovis)
What is the plural of moose?
The only correct plural of moose is moose. Sometimes, people add an s to moose, but that is incorrect. Moose derives from Algonquian, a Native American language. It kept the same plural ending it had in its original language instead of adopting the normal s ending of most English plurals.
What is the plural of kangaroos?
The plural form of kangaroo; more than one (kind of) kangaroo.
What is the plural of shrimp?
plural shrimp or shrimps. : any of numerous mostly small and marine decapod crustaceans (suborders Dendrobranchiata and Pleocyemata) having a slender elongated body, a compressed abdomen, and a long spiny rostrum and including some (especially family Penaeidae) that are commercially important as food.
What is the plural of squirrels?
plural squirrels also squirrel. 1 squirrel. /ˈskwɚrəl/ Brit /ˈskwɪrəl/ noun. plural squirrels also squirrel.
What is the plural of flamingos?
noun, plural fla·min·gos, fla·min·goes. any of several aquatic birds of the family Phoenicopteridae, having very long legs and neck, webbed feet, a bill bent downward at the tip, and pinkish to scarlet plumage.
What is the plural of turtles?
Singular. turtle. Plural. turtles. The plural form of turtle; more than one (kind of) turtle.