What is the Plural Form of Man?

The plural form of the word man is men. Unlike regular plurals that are formed by simply adding -s or -es, the word man follows an irregular pluralization pattern where “a” changes to “e”.

Explanation

In English, most nouns form their plurals by adding -s (e.g., cat → cats, book → books). However, some words follow irregular pluralization rules, meaning their plural forms do not follow the typical pattern. The word man → men is an example of a vowel change plural, where the vowel in the singular form shifts in the plural form.

Examples of Irregular Plurals Similar to “Man”

Woman → Women
Tooth → Teeth
Foot → Feet
Mouse → Mice
Child → Children

Why Does “Man” Change to “Men”?

The irregular plural of “man” comes from Old English, where vowel shifts were a common grammatical rule. This linguistic phenomenon is known as i-mutation, a historical vowel change that affects plural forms.

Fun Facts About the Word “Man”

• In Old English, “man” originally meant “person” and was gender-neutral.
• The phrase “mankind” still retains the older meaning, referring to all humans, not just males.
• The word “men” has been in use for over 1,000 years without change!

The plural form of man is men, following an irregular pattern in English grammar. Understanding these unique plural forms helps students enhance their vocabulary and grasp historical language changes. The next time you encounter irregular plurals, remember that they have deep linguistic roots shaped over centuries!