The plural form of “sheep” is “sheep”. It is not “sheeps.”
Table of Contents
The plural of sheep
Certain English words have irregular plurals, and “sheep” is one of the examples.
- Sheep (singular) refers to one sheep. “I saw a sheep running toward the road.”
- Sheep (plural) refers to more than one sheep. “I saw five sheep at the zoo today.”
Is “sheep” an uncountable noun?
No, “sheep” is not an uncountable noun. It is countable but has an irregular plural form. There are nouns in English that have the same plural and singular forms. “Sheep” is an example.
10 Examples of irregular nouns that remain the same in both singular and plural forms
Here are some common nouns that remain the same in both singular and plural forms:
- Deer (singular: a deer, plural: two deer)
- Fish (singular: a fish, plural: three fish) – although “fishes” can be used in specific contexts.
- Aircraft (singular: an aircraft, plural: several aircraft)
- Species (singular: one species, plural: many species)
- Swine (singular: a swine, plural: a herd of swine)
- Moose (singular: a moose, plural: two moose)
- Offspring (singular: one offspring, plural: multiple offspring)
- Shrimp (singular: a shrimp, plural: many shrimp) – though “shrimps” is also occasionally used.
- Bison (singular: a bison, plural: several bison)
- Trout (singular: a trout, plural: four trout) – though “trouts” can be used when referring to different types.
100 More examples
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FAQs
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What do you call more than 1 sheep?
You call them sheep whether it’s one or many. The word sheep remains the same.
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Is sheeps grammatically correct?
No. “Sheeps” is not grammatically correct in standard English.
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How about deer? Can I say two deers?
No. Like “sheep,” “deer” is another irregular noun that has the same form in both the singular and plural.
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What is the plural of octopus? Is it like sheep?
No. “Octopus” has distict plural form. The most commonly used plurals are “octopuses” and “octopi.” Both are grammatically correct, but “octopuses” is widely used.
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