Plural of “Octopus” (Grammar + Examples)

What is the plural of the word “octopus?” When I want to show possession of the word, where do I add an apostrophe? Or does an apostrophe get added at all? Showing ownership, possession, and plural forms of some words can get confusing.

For example, words ending in -s, -ch, -sh, -x, or -z often receive a -es as part of their affix to make them into plural possessive nouns or the plural form of the base word. Let’s learn how to turn a proper noun into a possessive noun.

What is the plural of “octopus?”

The plural form of the word “tortoise” is “tortoises.”

Sentence examples of the plural of “octopus”

• When we were scuba diving we cam across at least ten different species of octopuses.
• I noticed that we had seen at least three octopuses pass by us.
• The boat was clear so we could see all the octopuses beneath us.

Sentence examples of the singular noun form of “octopus”

• I had eaten octopus at the restaurant the other day.
• We were going to see if the octopus was okay from the accident.
• I felt like I stepped on an octopus.

Is more than one octopus an “octopi?”

The correct form is octopuses. The Latin form of the word is “octopi,” words with Latin endings don’t need a plural form. The greek word, “októpus,” translates to “eight foot,” which helps to describe the animal.

What is the preferred plural of the English word “octopus?”

The preferred plural of octopus is octopuses. “Octopods,” is the nearest English approach to the proper plural form of the word based on its originally greek origin. Words with a greek ending, like “oktopus,” are not pluralized like in the English language.

The three main plural for octopus (octopus, octopi, octopuses) are the best examples of how the English language adopts plurals from greek words or Latin words.

Understanding plural nouns (grammar rules)

Here are the simple grammar rules to follow when learning how to convert words to their plural form:

Words that end in -es

Any word that ends in -s will get a -es added as the affix to convert the word into the plural form. For example, “bus” turns into “buses.”

Words that end in -f or -fe

A word that ends in -f or -fe will have the “f” letter turn to a “v” and add a -es affix. For example, “leaf” and “leaves.”

Words that end in vowel + o

Words that end in a vowel + o, like “zoo,” receive a -s affix. For example, “radio” turns into “radios.”

Words that end in vowel + y

A word that end in a vowel + y, like “city,” gets the “y” letter removed and adds a -ies affix. For example, “baby” turns into “babies.”