is journey a plural noun

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Plural of Journey

The Quick Answer

The Plural of Journey

Are You Good at Plurals?

The standard rules for forming the plurals, why is there confusion over the plural of journey.

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

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Definition of journey

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Definition of journey  (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

transitive verb

Did you know?

The Latin adjective diurnus means “pertaining to a day, daily”; English diurnal stems ultimately from this word. When Latin developed into French, diurnus became a noun, jour, meaning simply “day” The medieval French derivative journee meant either “day” or “something done during the day,” such as work or travel. Middle English borrowed journee as journey in both senses, but only the sense “a day’s travel” survived into modern usage. In modern English, journey now refers to a trip without regard to the amount of time it takes. The verb journey developed from the noun and is first attested in the 14th century.

• peregrination
• peregrinate

Examples of journey in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'journey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French jurnee day, day's journey, from jur day, from Late Latin diurnum , from Latin, neuter of diurnus — see journal entry 1

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

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Dictionary Entries Near journey

journal voucher

journey-bated

Cite this Entry

“Journey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/journey. Accessed 19 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of journey.

Kids Definition of journey  (Entry 2 of 2)

Middle English journey "a trip, travel," from early French journee "day's work, day's journey," from jour "day," derived from Latin diurnus "of a day, daily," from dies "day" — related to diary , journal

More from Merriam-Webster on journey

Nglish: Translation of journey for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of journey for Arabic Speakers

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The Plural of Journey: Here’s What It Is and How to Use It

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The Plural of Journey: Here’s What It Is and How to Use It

Here is a brief explanation of how to use journey and the plural form of the word. Let us go over what a journey is, the plural form, the history and origin of the word, synonyms, examples of the word used in a sentence, and more information. Next time you go to use the word journey you will be an expert. 

What Is the Definition of Journey?

The word journey means:

• the journey from youth to maturity
• a journey through time
• a three-day journey
• going on a long journey
• chiefly dialectal: a day’s travel
• to go on a journey
• to travel over or through

The singular form of journey can be talking about going on a day trip or a trek across mountains. A journey can be adventurous, like a journey in books and films or just a journey you take with your friends to the beach. Journeying can also be used to talk about the progression of time in your life in third person as you enter into adulthood from childhood. 

The most common use, you will see that journey is used to describe a longer trip than just a day trip — like an extended train journey through Europe. This however is the opposite of the original meaning of the word journey in Latin, which meant day, by day, or daily. You can also talk about a journey as it relates to technology and Internet devices through things like consent preferences, default settings, personalized web experiences, and your overall experience of the site. 

What Is the Plural Form of Journey?

The plural form of the word journey is journeys — not journies. This would not be the plural form of the word journey as its consonants didn’t first go to French before going to the English language. 

The History and Origin of the Word

The root language for the word journey is Latin. In Latin, you can trace the word journey back to diurnal, diurnus, and Latin diurnum. This is because diurnal changed to jour when it moved to the French language. Journee meant something that was done during the day time. So moving it from journee to the Middle English journe or jorney makes it easier for us to see how we ended with the modern American English spelling and pronunciation of the word. 

All the way back in the age of the 1400s there was a writer that used journey in this sentence “52 journeys from this land … there is another land that men call Lamary.” He was describing a 52-day trek to the land named Lamary.

Synonyms of Noun Journey From a Thesaurus

• Expedition – a journey or excursion undertaken for a specific purpose
• Passage – a way of exit or entrance: a road, path, channel, or course by which something passes
• Peregrination – to travel especially on foot
• Travels – to go on or as if on a trip or tour
• Trek –  to make one’s way arduously, a trip or movement especially when involving difficulties or complex organization
• Trip – to make a journey
• Pilgrimage – a journey of a pilgrim
• Tour – a journey for business, pleasure, or education often involving a series of stops and ending at the starting point
• Travel – to go on or as if on a trip or tour
• Voyage –  an act or instance of traveling

Examples of the Word in Context

• According to Daily Mail, Pipsqueak’s journey took 136 days. — Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, “Pipsqueak the Dachshund Reunited With Her Family After a 5-month Separation Due to Coronavirus,” 25 Aug. 2020
• The only way to know for sure is to collect and sequence lots more hornets from across their native ranges, to get a better picture of their family tree and which branches are potential launching pads for a transoceanic journey. — Megan Molteni, Wired, “Inside the Sprint to Map the Murder Hornet Genome,” 24 Aug. 2020
• Expedition to the Edge, a new series on Discovery, covers Captain Clemens Gabriel’s attempted journey through the Northwest Passage back in 2018. — Katey Clifford, cleveland, “‘Expedition to the Edge’ | How to watch, live stream, TV channel, time,” 23 Aug. 2020
• His life was an American hero’s journey—and his work is as urgent now as when it was first published. — The Economist, “Twentieth-century fox Albert Murray was a bard of America’s racial complexity,” 22 Aug. 2020
• Becoming European champions would be the fulfillment of a nine-year journey of lavish investment since the state of Qatar bought the club. — Rob Harris, Star Tribune, “425 days later, Champions League ends with PSG-Bayern final,” 22 Aug. 2020
• Earnest is just as puzzled about the ring’s long journey as Irinaga. — oregonlive, “After more than 40 years, a ring found in a Portland high school locker is returned to the rightful owner,” 22 Aug. 2020
• The journey the Cardinals had to go on made the success taste even better to Dilfer. — Cameron Teague Robinson, The Courier-Journal, “Last year’s adversity, Elite Eight run helping U of L volleyball amid COVID-19 uncertainty,” 22 Aug. 2020
• The album title may signal victory of sorts, but it’s also a trail marker on a greater journey. — Kelly Dearmore, Dallas News, “Honest writing and a grander pallet of sonic textures bolster Old 97′s new album ‘Twelfth’,” 21 Aug. 2020

Now you are an expert on all things related to our word of the day, journey. Next time you need to write a journey you will be well prepared for everything you need to know what it is and how to do it efficiently. 

• https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/journey
• https://www.etymonline.com/word/journey
• https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/music/2020/08/21/honest-writing-and-a-grander-pallet-of-sonic-textures-bolster-old-97s-twelfth/
• https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/louisville/2020/08/21/louisville-volleyball-team-positive-despite-uncertainty-season/5615609002/
• https://www.oregonlive.com/living/2020/08/after-more-than-40-years-a-ring-found-in-a-portland-high-school-locker-is-returned-to-the-rightful-owner.html
• https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/08/22/albert-murray-was-a-bard-of-americas-racial-complexity
• https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2020/08/expedition-to-the-edge-how-to-watch-live-stream-tv-channel-time.html
• https://www.wired.com/story/inside-the-sprint-to-map-the-murder-hornet-genome
• https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/pet-friendly-travel/pipsqueak-dachshund-reunited-with-family
• https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-03-16-0703140552-story.html#:~:text=The%20word%20%22journey%2C%22%20from,%2C%20312%20pages%2C%20%2425).

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.

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‘Journies’ or ‘Journeys’: What is the Plural of ‘Journey’?

The word journey in its plural form is the source of some confusion. Many are unsure whether to spell it 'journies' or 'journeys.'

In this article, we will answer that question, and highlight the reason for the confusion, and cover the general plural rules in the English language.

Firstly, let's answer the question on everyone's lips and the main reason you're reading this article: is it 'journies' or 'journeys'?

The correct way to spell the plural of the word 'journey' is: 'journeys.'

It is never correct to spell it 'journies.'

Is it 'Journies' or 'Journeys'?

Let's begin by exploring a few ground rules around forming plurals of words.

How Do You Spell the Plural of 'Journey' - Is It 'Journies' or 'Journeys'?

As mentioned already, the plural of 'journey' is always 'journeys'.

Why Is There Confusion over Whether It's 'Journies' or 'Journeys'?

With words that end in "vowel+y," we add "s" at the end to create the plural form of the word.

So why is there confusion around this in the first place? Aren't the rules around plural word spellings reasonably straightforward?

Well, perhaps not.

The main rule is that when a word ends in 'y', to make the plural form, we must change the 'y' to 'ies.' For example:

• Activity → activities
• Cherry → cherries
• Fly → flies

If we abide by this rule, the plural of 'journey' should be 'journies.'

Not so fast! There's a follow-up rule. This one applies to words with a vowel before that 'y' at the end.

Instead of changing the 'y' to 'ies,' leave the 'y' in and add an 's.'

As a reminder, here is the list of vowels in the English language: a, e, i, o, u.

Here are some examples:

• Play → plays
• Valley → valleys

Can you see then why the plural of 'journey' must be 'journeys'? Since the 'y' in the word is preceded by 'e' (a vowel), we must use the second rule to pluralize 'journey.'

The Standard Rules for Forming the Plurals

The rule for pluralizing words ending in 'y' and vowel + 'e' is, in fact, in agreement with the general rule for pluralizing all words: just add 's.'

Now that you are familiar with the rule for pluralizing words in general and the rule for pluralizing words ending in 'y', would you like to know the standard rules for other words? If so, read on.

Nouns Ending With S, SS, SH, CH, X, or Z

For these words, add 'es' to the end of the word to get the plural form. For example:

• Box → boxes
• Church → churches
• Bus → buses

Sometimes, you need to double the 'z' at the end of the word before adding 'es.' Like in the following examples:

• Quiz → quizzes
• Fez ​​→ fezzes

Nouns Ending' O'

Add 's' or 'es' to pluralize words ending with 'o'. For example:

• Piano → pianos
• Video → videos
• Volcano → volcanoes
• Flamingo → flamingoes

With these words, there is no rule to determine which of the two it should be - 's' or 'es.' You simply have to memorize these.

Nouns Ending F or Fe

The rule for pluralizing words ending in 'f' or 'fe' states that these nouns should either end in 'ves' or 's.' Again, there's no rule to differentiate the two endings; you just have to know.

• Dwarf → dwarves
• Roof → roofs
• Half → halves

To complicate the matter, some words do not follow any of the above rules. They either change entirely in the plural form or don't change at all. Here are some examples:

• Bacterium → bacteria
• Child → children
• Moose → moose
• Series → Series

Another time when the general rules don't apply is with words ending in 'is.' Though these words end in 's,' they don't follow the same rule. Instead, we change the 'is' to an 'es.' For example:

• Thesis → theses
• Analysis → analyses

Also, watch out for words that end in 'us.' Often, these need the 'us' removed, and an 'i' added on at the end. Yes, this is a bit of an odd one! For example:

• Cactus → cacti
• Alumnus → alumni

We appreciate that all this can seem quite confusing, but we don't want you to feel overwhelmed! If you're currently learning English as a language, rest assured that the more you read English, the more the correct pluralizations will stick to your mind, as you'll get used to seeing them. Over time, it will become automatic. It just takes a little practice!

And if you are a native English speaker, and are just trying to learn more about your language, now that you have learned the rules, you have become more aware and will now start to pay more attention to the different ways to pluralize words as you read. For you also, knowing the correct spellings will become automatic.

Meaning of the Word 'Journey'

Now that we've dived into the conventions around pluralizing words let's explore the word 'journey' and its meaning.

What Does It Mean?

The word 'journey' is a noun, and its simplest definition is the act of traveling from one place to another.

The term usually implies a somewhat extended period of time, unlike the word 'jaunt,' which is very similar in meaning but is more suited to describe a shorter expedition.

The word 'journey' can refer to a physical trip - traveling from one physical place to another, perhaps to spend a gap year, to go backpacking, or even on a pilgrimage. Here are a few examples of the word used in this sense:

• To break up the journey, we stopped in a motel en route.
• The journey from New York to Italy was reasonably smooth.
• Have a safe journey!

But the word can also refer to a symbolic trip. This could be an emotional journey, a spiritual journey, or a professional journey. Or it can be, quite simply, a life journey. It is, in essence, the story of how you got to be where you are. Here are some examples of ways you can use the word in this sense:

• I've been on my spiritual journey since I turned 30 years old.
• This has been an incredible journey, but I'm glad it's over.
• My professional journey to get here has been tumultuous, to say the least.

'Journey' in Verb Form

The word 'journey' can also take on a verb form without needing to change the word itself.

The verb 'journey' takes on the same meaning as the noun 'journey' - you can use it to refer to the act of going on a journey. Let's see some examples of this verb in action:

• When you journey through Provence, keep an eye out for the lavender fields.
• We're currently journeying south.
• As I journeyed further and further away from home, my spirit began to feel free.

Synonyms of the Word' Journey'

Many words carry a similar meaning to 'journey' while still being somewhat nuanced in what they imply. Here are some of our favorite terms to refer to some kind of journey:

Some of these make us feel like we're in an Indiana Jones movie or a Tomb Raider video game! What about you?

Final Thoughts on 'Journies' or 'Journeys'

Hopefully, this article has helped clarify the meaning of the word 'journey' for you and the correct spelling.

To summarize, the plural of the noun 'journey' is always 'journeys.' It is never correct to spell it 'journies.' This would be considered incorrect.

Furthermore, the word can be used both as a noun and a verb.

And remember: keep on reading. It's the best way to improve your English language skills! Read novels and non-fiction on topics that interest you, and of course, our other articles. Here is a couple to get you started:

How to Write Comedy: Tips and Examples to Make People Laugh 'Interested In' or 'Interested On': What's the Correct Preposition to Use?

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"What's the plural of journey?"

The plural of journey is journeys .

Definition of journey:

A journey refers to the act of traveling from one place to another, usually over a considerable distance. It involves a process or experience of moving, exploring, or embarking on a specific trip or adventure.

Which is Correct: Journeys or Journies?

The correct plural form of the word " journey " is " journeys ." Although " journies " may seem like a logical pluralization, it is not accepted or recognized in standard English usage.

Nouns ending in a vowel + - y form their plural by simply adding - s to the end of the word. This is why the plural of journey is journeys and not journies.

Is Journey a Countable or Uncountable Noun?

The word " journey " is considered a countable noun. Countable nouns are objects or entities that can be counted as separate units or individuals. Each journey represents a distinct travel experience or specific trip, and its plural form " journeys " reflects this countability.

You can use numerical quantifiers such as " one journey ," " two journeys ," " three journeys ," and so on to specify the quantity of journeys.

Countable nouns have both singular and plural forms and can be used with articles like " a " or " an " for singular nouns and "the" for plural nouns. For example, you would say " a journey " when referring to a single travel experience and "the journeys" when referring to multiple trips or adventures.

Collective Noun for a Group of Journeys

In English, there isn't a widely recognized specific collective noun dedicated to a group of journeys. However, you can use the term " collection " or " series " to refer to a group of journeys that share a common theme, purpose, or destination. These terms can convey the idea of multiple journeys being grouped or connected in some way.

For example, you could say " a collection of journeys exploring ancient civilizations " or " a series of journeys through remote wilderness areas ."

Plural of Journey Example Sentences

Singular form: journey.

• A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
• She embarked on a transformative journey to discover her true passion.
• The train ride offered breathtaking views throughout the entire journey .

Plural Form: Journeys

• I have taken multiple journeys around the world, each one leaving a lasting impression.
• The travelers shared their remarkable journeys and adventures at the gathering.
• These guided tours offer diverse cultural and historical journeys for every traveler's interest.

Journeys vs. journies

The graph shows the occurances of the plural of journey in written English since 1800 using Google's Ngram Viewer .

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/journey

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The Ultimate Guide to Mastering the Plural of Journey in English Grammar

By: Author ESLBUZZ

Posted on Last updated: October 11, 2023

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Journey is a common English noun that refers to a trip or a voyage. As with many English nouns, the plural form of journey can be tricky. Understanding plural nouns is an essential aspect of mastering English grammar, and the plural of journey is no exception.

In this article, we will explore the plural of journey in detail. We will cover the rules for forming the plural of journey and some exceptions to these rules. We will also provide examples of how to use the plural of journey in a sentence and discuss some common mistakes to avoid. By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of how to use journeys correctly in your writing and conversation.

Plural of Journey

Definition and Plural of Journey

A journey is a process of traveling from one place to another, either physically or metaphorically. It can involve a physical journey, such as traveling by car, plane, or foot, or it can be a mental or emotional journey, such as going through a personal transformation or overcoming a challenge. A journey can be long or short, planned or spontaneous, and can involve various experiences and encounters along the way. The destination of a journey is often less important than the journey itself, as it is the experiences and growth that occur during the journey that can be most meaningful and impactful.

In terms of its plural form, the correct spelling is “journeys.” Some people may mistakenly use “journies,” but this is not the correct plural form. The word “journeys” follows the standard plural rules in the English language, where the letter “y” is replaced with “ies” when forming the plural form of a word.

It is important to note that the word “journey” is not commonly used in its plural form. Instead, it is typically used in its singular form to describe a single trip or a process of personal growth.

When to Use Journey and Plural of Journey

Journey is a noun that refers to the act of traveling from one place to another. It can also refer to a long and often difficult process of personal growth or development. The plural form of journey is journeys.

Journey is typically used as a singular noun when referring to a single trip or voyage from one place to another. For example, “I took a long journey across the country by train” or “Her journey to recovery was a difficult one.” In these cases, journey refers to a single, specific experience of traveling or personal growth. However, journey can also be used as a collective noun to refer to a group of people traveling together, such as “The journey of the explorers took them through uncharted territories.” In this case, journey is being used to refer to the collective experience of the group.

Journey is not commonly used as a plural noun. However, in rare cases, it can be used as a plural noun to refer to multiple trips or voyages. For example, “Their journeys to different parts of the world were all filled with adventure and excitement.” In this case, journey is being used to refer to multiple, distinct experiences of traveling. However, it’s important to note that this usage is not common and singular form is generally used to refer to a single or collective experience of traveling.

In summary, journey is a noun that refers to the act of traveling or personal growth, and the plural form of journey is journeys. Use journey when referring to a single trip or experience, and use journeys when referring to multiple trips or experiences.

Examples of Journey and Plural of Journey in Sentences

When talking about journeys, it’s important to know how to use the singular and plural forms correctly. Here are some examples of how to use “journey” and “journeys” in sentences:

Singular form:

• The journey to the top of the mountain was difficult, but the view was worth it.
• The journey from the bottom of the mountain to the summit was steep and treacherous.
• Her journey to self-discovery took her to many different places and taught her valuable lessons along the way.
• The journey through the wilderness was filled with challenges, but they persevered and made it to their destination.
• The novel follows the journey of a young woman as she navigates the complexities of love and loss.

Plural form:

• The journeys of the characters in the book were all unique and interesting.
• We took many journeys together as a family, but our trip to Europe was the most memorable.
• The company offers guided journeys to many different countries around the world.
• The historic journeys of famous explorers are often studied in schools.

As you can see from these examples, “journey” is used to talk about a single trip or experience, while “journeys” is used to talk about multiple trips or experiences.

It’s important to note that “journeys” is the correct plural form of “journey.” While some words that end in “y” change to “ies” when making the plural form, “journeys” is an exception to this rule.

Plural Noun Rules for Regular Nouns

When it comes to forming plurals for regular nouns, there are a few rules to keep in mind. Most singular nouns can be made plural by simply adding an “s” at the end. Here are some examples:

• Book → Books
• Pen → Pens
• Chair → Chairs

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. Here are a few examples:

• Words ending in “s”, “x”, “z”, “ch”, or “sh” require an “es” at the end to form the plural. For instance, “box” becomes “boxes” and “church” becomes “churches”.
• Nouns ending in “y” preceded by a consonant usually replace the “y” with “ies” to form the plural. For example, “city” becomes “cities” and “baby” becomes “babies”.
• Nouns ending in “o” preceded by a consonant usually add “es” to form the plural. For instance, “potato” becomes “potatoes” and “hero” becomes “heroes”.

It is important to note that there are some irregular nouns that do not follow these rules. These nouns must be memorized or looked up in a dictionary. Here are a few examples:

• Child → Children
• Foot → Feet
• Mouse → Mice

By following these rules, you can easily form plurals for regular nouns.

Plural Noun Rules for Irregular Nouns

When it comes to forming plurals for irregular nouns, there are no hard and fast rules. However, there are some common patterns that you can follow to make the process easier. In this section, we will discuss some of the rules for forming plurals for irregular nouns.

List of Common Irregular Plural Nouns

Here are some of the most common irregular plural nouns in English:

Nouns That End in Us

Nouns that end in “us” often have irregular plurals that end in “i”. Here are some examples:

Nouns That End in Is

Nouns that end in “is” often have irregular plurals that end in “es”. Here are some examples:

Nouns That End in On and Um

Nouns that end in “on” or “um” often have irregular plurals that end in “a”. Here are some examples:

Plurals That Are the Same as Singulars

Some words have the same form for both singular and plural. Here are some examples:

Words That Look Like Plural Nouns but Are Singular Nouns

In the English language, there are some words that look like plural nouns but are actually singular nouns. Here are some examples of such words:

It is crucial to note that these words are always used as singular nouns, even though they look like plural nouns. Therefore, they should always be paired with a singular verb.

For instance, you should say, “Mathematics is my favorite subject,” instead of “Mathematics are my favorite subjects.” Similarly, you should say, “Politics is a complicated field,” instead of “Politics are complicated fields.”

In conclusion, it is essential to be aware of words that look like plural nouns but are singular nouns. Knowing their correct usage will help you communicate effectively and avoid grammatical errors.

Plural Nouns Vs. Possessive Nouns

When it comes to using English grammar correctly, understanding the difference between plural nouns and possessive nouns is essential. While both types of nouns are used to indicate more than one thing, they are used in different ways.

Plural Nouns

Plural nouns are used to indicate that there is more than one of something. They are formed in different ways depending on the noun. For regular nouns, you simply add an “s” to the end of the word. For example, “book” becomes “books” in the plural form. However, for irregular nouns, the plural form can be more complicated. Some examples of irregular nouns include “child” (which becomes “children” in the plural form) and “tooth” (which becomes “teeth” in the plural form).

Possessive Nouns

Possessive nouns are used to indicate ownership. They are formed by adding an apostrophe and an “s” to the end of the noun. For example, “the dog’s bone” indicates that the bone belongs to the dog. If the noun already ends in an “s”, you just need to add an apostrophe

It’s important to note that possessive nouns can also be used to indicate a relationship between two nouns. For example, “the book of John” can be rewritten as “John’s book”.

In conclusion, understanding the difference between plural nouns and possessive nouns is crucial for using English grammar correctly. While plural nouns indicate more than one thing, possessive nouns indicate ownership or a relationship between two nouns.

Common Mistakes with Plural Nouns

When it comes to pluralizing nouns, there are some common mistakes that people make. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Some nouns have irregular plural forms that don’t follow the standard rules of adding an “s” or “es” at the end. For example, the plural of “man” is “men,” and the plural of “child” is “children.” Other examples of irregular plurals include “tooth/teeth,” “foot/feet,” and “mouse/mice.” It’s important to be aware of these irregular plurals and use them correctly.

For most nouns, you can simply add an “s” or “es” to the end to form the plural. However, there are some common mistakes to avoid:

• Don’t add an apostrophe before the “s” to make a noun plural. For example, it’s incorrect to write “apple’s” to mean “more than one apple.” Instead, write “apples.”
• Be careful with nouns that end in “y.” If the “y” is preceded by a vowel, simply add an “s” to form the plural. For example, “toys” and “boys.” If the “y” is preceded by a consonant, change the “y” to “i” and add “es.” For example, “cities” and “parties.”
• For nouns that end in “f” or “fe,” change the “f” to “v” and add “es” to form the plural. For example, “knife/knives” and “wife/wives.”

Some nouns are countable, meaning they can be pluralized and counted. For example, “book/books” and “chair/chairs.” Other nouns are uncountable, meaning they can’t be pluralized or counted. For example, “water,” “air,” and “furniture.” It’s important to know which nouns are countable and which are uncountable so that you can use them correctly in sentences.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the plural form of ‘journey’?

The plural form of ‘journey’ is ‘journeys’.

How do you pluralize the word ‘journey’?

To pluralize ‘journey’, simply add an ‘s’ to the end of the word.

Can you use ‘journey’ as both a singular and plural noun?

Yes, ‘journey’ can be used as both a singular and plural noun. For example, “I am going on a journey” (singular) and “We went on many journeys” (plural).

Is ‘journey’ an irregular plural noun?

No, ‘journey’ is not an irregular plural noun. It follows the regular plural noun rule of adding an ‘s’ to the end of the word.

What is a synonym for ‘journey’?

A synonym for ‘journey’ is ‘trip.’ Other synonyms include ‘voyage,’ ‘expedition,’ ‘excursion,’ and ‘adventure.’

What is the meaning of ‘journeys’?

‘Journeys’ means more than one trip or voyage from one place to another. It can also refer to a process of personal growth or development that a person goes through.

The plural form of 'journey' is 'journeys'.

"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How do you pluralize the word 'journey'?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"

To pluralize 'journey', simply add an 's' to the end of the word.

"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Are both 'journeys' and 'journies' correct plural forms?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"

'Journeys' is the correct plural form of 'journey'. 'Journies' is not a recognized plural form.

"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Does the word 'journeys' require an apostrophe?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"

No, the word 'journeys' does not require an apostrophe. An apostrophe is only used to indicate possession or to form contractions.

"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can you use 'journey' as both a singular and plural noun?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"

Yes, 'journey' can be used as both a singular and plural noun. For example, \"I am going on a journey\" (singular) and \"We went on many journeys\" (plural).

"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is 'journey' an irregular plural noun?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"

No, 'journey' is not an irregular plural noun. It follows the regular plural noun rule of adding an 's' to the end of the word.

Remember to use the plural form 'journeys' when referring to more than one journey. For example, \"The journeys we took were all memorable.\" Practice using 'journeys' in sentences to become more comfortable with the plural form.

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[ jur -nee ]

a six-day journey across the desert.

Synonyms: tour , jaunt , excursion

a desert journey.

a week's journey.

the journey to success.

verb (used without object)

Synonyms: peregrinate , rove , roam

/ ˈdʒɜːnɪ /

• a travelling from one place to another; trip or voyage
• the distance travelled in a journey
• the time taken to make a journey
• intr to make a journey

Discover More

Derived forms.

• ˈjourneyer , noun

Other Words From

• journey·er noun
• outjourney verb (used with object) outjourneyed outjourneying

Word History and Origins

Origin of journey 1

Synonym Study

Example sentences.

If either is selected, it would not launch until 2026 at the earliest, and would take at least a few months to make the journey.

The job is a cherry on top, but the journey and the experience of being able to audition and leave your heart in the room and feel good about it, no matter what happens, that’s rare and that was amazing.

Cross-device measurement helps connect the dots of your customer’s journey and ensures you know how effective your campaigns are at driving user behavior.

You are somewhat of a new grandmother and you’ve been enjoying that journey.

Instead of having numerous articles addressing each of these particular questions, brands and publishers could consolidate this information as it is all pertinent to the same stage of the journey that the user is in.

The brokers then scout out potential “crew members” who can earn substantial discounts for working the journey.

The next day, after driving to Putney on the outskirts of London, we start the end of our journey.

The NYPD Emerald Society pipes and drums struck up a slow march and the procession began the journey to the cemetery.

We began a journey with Koenig in the first episode of Serial.

But the sunlight is threatening to fade and a three-and-a-half-hour river journey back to Kisangani looms.

With a hammer the boy knocked off some of the slats of the small box in which Squinty had made his journey.

Then summoning a smart young jemadar with whom he had talked a good deal during the journey, he asked him to read the chit.

But dismissing them from our thoughts for the time being, as we did then from our presence, let us continue our journey.

If the journey is now distasteful to her, she has but her own rashness to blame in having sought it herself.

It was past sundown when they left San Bernardino, but a full moon made the night as good as day for their journey.

Related Words

• exploration

What Is The Plural Of Journey?

Plural word for  journey.

The plural form of journey is journeys (not journies ). Words that end with a – y preceded by a vowel ( a, e, i, o, u ) are made plural by adding an -s at the end, as in chimney / chimneys and monkey / monkeys . 

This can be confusing, because the plural form of words that end with a – y and are preceded by a consonant is made by changing the ending to -ies , as in party / parties , candy / candies , and duty / duties .

More About Journey

What does  journey mean.

A journey is a trip, especially one to a faraway place that takes place over a long period of time.

The word trip can refer to any instance of traveling from one place to another, no matter how long or short it is. The word journey , though, typically implies a long trip—one that’s at least several hours, and perhaps several months or even years. It also often implies adventure—a journey might even be a quest . A journey may or may not have a planned destination other than whatever lies ahead.

The word is also commonly used in a figurative way to liken any lengthy process or progress to such a trip, as in Life is a journey, with many interesting detours. 

Journey can also be used as a verb meaning to make a long trip, as in We must journey to the land beyond the mountains.

Example: My favorite books are about people who make epic journeys around the world.

Where does  journey come from?

The first records of the word journey come from around the 1200s. It comes from the Middle English word journee , meaning “day,” ultimately from unattested Vulgar Latin diurnāta , meaning “a day’s time” or “a day’s work.” In English, the meaning of the word journey originally meant something like “a day’s travel,” but eventually came to mean “a long trip.”

A journey can last a day but the word usually refers to longer trips. The word is sometimes preceded with the mode of transportation that’s used, as in The city is reachable only by a long train journey. Discussion of journeys often involves their destination or purpose. When people say, “It’s the journey , not the destination,” they mean that the significance and value of a journey is what happens along the way, from moment to moment, as opposed to the achievement of its ultimate goal.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to journey ?

• journeyer (noun)
• outjourney (verb)

What are some synonyms for journey ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with journey ? 

What are some words that often get used in discussing journey ?

• destination

How is  journey used in real life?

Journey is very commonly used in a figurative way.

I ask you to accompany me on my journey to Chile and Peru in your prayers. — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) January 15, 2018

Life is indeed a journey. Successful is he who can navigate the ups and downs without losing his balance. Don’t dwell on your past, don’t wallow in self-pity, don’t repeat your mistakes, don’t focus on negativity, help others along the way, spread kindness wherever you go! — Mufti Menk (@muftimenk) August 17, 2020

Some people around us will not understand our journey. They don’t need to; it’s not for them — Paulo Coelho (@paulocoelho) May 4, 2019

Try using  journey !

Which of the following words is a synonym of journey ?

A. voyage B. trip C. trek D. all of the above

Words and phrases

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journey noun

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What does the noun journey mean?

There are 24 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun journey , 13 of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

journey has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

How common is the noun journey ?

How is the noun journey pronounced, british english, u.s. english, where does the noun journey come from.

Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the noun journey is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).

journey is a borrowing from French.

Etymons: French jornee , journee .

Nearby entries

• journalism, n. 1833–
• journalist, n. 1693–
• journalistic, adj. & n. 1829–
• journalistically, adv. 1870–
• journalizable, adj. 1858–
• journalize, v. 1766–
• journalizer, n. 1837–
• journal-letter, n. 1756–
• journally, adv. 1554–92
• journ-chopper, n. 1883–
• journey, n. ?c1225–
• journey, v. c1330–
• journey-bated, adj. 1598
• journey-book, n. 1610–
• journey cake, n. 1754–
• journeyed, adj. 1553–
• journeyer, n. 1566–
• journeying, n. c1330–
• journeyman, n. 1463–
• journey-money, n. 1883–
• journey-pride, n. 1938–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for journey, n..

journey, n. was first published in 1901; not yet revised.

journey, n. was last modified in December 2023.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

• corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into journey, n. in December 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1901)

• Find out more

OED Second Edition (1989)

• View journey, n. in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for journey, n., browse entry.

• 1.1 Etymology
• 1.2 Pronunciation
• 1.3.1 Hyponyms
• 1.3.2 Derived terms
• 1.3.3 Translations
• 1.4.1 Synonyms
• 1.4.2 Translations
• 1.5 Further reading

English [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ].

From Middle English journe , from Old French jornee , from Vulgar Latin *diurnāta , from Late Latin diurnum , from Latin diurnus , from diēs ( “ day ” ) . Displaced native Old English fær and Old English faru .

Pronunciation [ edit ]

• ( General American ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈd͡ʒɝni/
• ( Received Pronunciation ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈd͡ʒɜːni/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)ni

Noun [ edit ]

journey ( plural journeys )

• 1807 , William Wordsworth , “Star Gazers”, in Poems, in Two Volumes , volume I, London: [ … ] Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme ,   [ … ] , →OCLC , page 88 : Or is it, that when human Souls a journey long have had, / And are returned into themselves, they cannot be but sad?
• 2012 March-April, Terrence J. Sejnowski , “Well-connected Brains”, in American Scientist ‎ [1] , volume 100 , number 2, archived from the original on 27 April 2017 , page 171 : Creating a complete map of the human connectome would therefore be a monumental milestone but not the end of the journey to understanding how our brains work.
• 2023 December 27, Richard Foster, “New rail freight terminal leads the way”, in RAIL , number 999 , page 39 : That progress has taken over ten years and £20 million to bring to fruition. But, as Mands explains, the journey has been one that HSG has been almost obligated to undertake. "First and foremost, this is an environmental project," she says.
• ( obsolete ) A day .
• ( obsolete ) A day's travelling; the distance travelled in a day.
• 1485 , Sir Thomas Malory , “ vij ”, in Le Morte Darthur , book VI: But whan ye haue done that Iourney ye shal promyse me as ye are a true knyght for to go with me and to helpe me / and other damoysels that are distressid dayly with a fals knyghte / All your entente damoysel and desyre I wylle fulfylle / soo ye wyl brynge me vnto this knyghte (please add an English translation of this quotation)
• The weight of finished coins delivered at one time to the Master of the Mint .
• ( collective , colloquial ) A group of giraffes .

Hyponyms [ edit ]

• See also Thesaurus:journey

Derived terms [ edit ]

• a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
• memory journey
• Sabbath-day's journey
• wedding journey

Verb [ edit ]

journey ( third-person singular simple present journeys , present participle journeying , simple past and past participle journeyed )

• 1951 June, “British Railways Summer Services”, in Railway Magazine , page 419 : The arrangement for certain long-distance trains to call at suburban stations (saving passengers the trouble of journeying to the termini), which proved popular last year, is being extended.

Synonyms [ edit ]

Further reading [ edit ].

• “ journey ”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary , Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam , 1913 , →OCLC .
• “ journey ”, in The Century Dictionary   [ … ] , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co. , 1911 , →OCLC .
• “ journey ”, in OneLook Dictionary Search .

Middle English [ edit ]

• Alternative form of journe

• English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
• English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dyew-
• English terms inherited from Middle English
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• English terms derived from Old French
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• English 2-syllable words
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• Journies or Journeys? What is the Plural Form of Journey?
• Learn English
• James Prior
• No Comments
• Updated May 6, 2023

Have you ever been on a journey? Maybe you’ve been on more than one journey in your life. But what is the plural of journey, is it journies or journeys?

Let’s take a look at the correct plural form for “journey”.

Table of Contents

Journies or Journeys?

Journeys is the correct plural form of journey, journies is a common spelling mistake. For words that end with a vowel and a consonant you just need to add “s” at the end to create the plural form. The word “journey” ends with a vowel and a consonant, “ey”. Therefore, we just need to add “s” to the end of “journey” to make it into its plural form, “journeys”. This is why the plural of journey is “journeys” not “journies”.

Note: There is a different rule for pluralizing words that end with the letter “y” after a consonant, such as the word “country”. In this case, we transform the “y” into “ie” and add “s” to make the word plural. So, “country” becomes “countries”.

Definition of journeys

Journeys is plural for journey which means the act of traveling from one place to another. “Journey” can also mean a set of experiences that someone has over a period of time, which changes them in some way. You can therefore go on different types of journeys! In both of these cases, “journey” is used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.

Journeys meaning (noun)

A journey is an act or process of traveling from one place to another, especially in a vehicle. It can also be referred to as a trip. “Journey” can also be used to describe a set of experiences someone has over time that affects or changes them in some way. For example, you can go on a spiritual journey to learn more about yourself.

Here are some examples of journeys as a noun in a sentence:

• The backpackers planned to take multiple journeys across the country during their year-long trip.
• As a travel blogger, she documented her journeys to various exotic locations around the world.
• The explorers’ journeys through uncharted territories brought them face-to-face with many unexpected challenges.
• The museum exhibit showcased the artistic journeys of several influential painters from the 20th century.
• After several journeys and a long flight, I was happy to arrive home .
• My journeys as an entrepreneur have been characterized by many ups and downs, but each experience has taught me valuable lessons and helped me grow both personally and professionally.

Journeys meaning (verb)

As a verb, journeys is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb “journey.” To journey means to travel, often to a faraway place.

Here are some examples of journeys as a verb in a sentence:

• He journeys to different countries in search of new adventures.
• As the sun sets over the horizon, the ship journeys into the open sea.
• She journeys to the mountains every summer to escape the heat of the city.

Synonyms of journey

As you can probably imagine, because “journey” refers to traveling somewhere it has several synonyms. Here are some synonyms for “journey”, in the noun form:

Wishing someone a safe journey

You would typically wish someone a safe journey when they are about to embark on a trip or travel to a new destination. It is a way of saying goodbye, expressing good wishes, and hoping that the person has a safe and pleasant journey, free from harm or trouble. It is often accompanied by other well-wishes such as “Have a great trip” or “Travel safely”. You may also hear people use “ safe travels “. However, we don’t use “safe journeys” in this context, it is always “safe journey”.

Conclusion: Our journeys continue

Remember, if you want to pluralize the word “journey” we add an “s” at the end to make it “journeys”. It does not become “journies” . This is because “journey” ends with a vowel and a consonant, “ey”. In such cases, we just need to add an “s” at the end of the word to make it plural.

So, I hope that clears it up which is correct out of journies and journeys, and with that, I wish you well on your continued journeys through the English language!

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Meaning of journey in English

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journey noun [C] ( TRIP )

• She gave the children some sweets to chew on during the long car journey.
• The journey was quite quick because the road was clear .
• I expect you'd like to rest after your long journey.
• We did the journey to Wales in five hours .
• The train journey took us through a valley past rolling hills .
• break-journey
• circumnavigation

journey noun [C] ( EXPERIENCES )

• advance the cause
• advancement
• formatively
• from A to B idiom
• progressive
• progressively
• punctuated equilibrium

journey noun [C] ( BOOK )

• absorptive capacity
• acquisition
• hit the books idiom
• mug (something) up
• non-academic
• recognition
• subspecialty
• swot up (something)
• uncredentialed
• around Robin Hood's barn idiom
• communication
• super-commuting
• transoceanic
• well travelled

journey | American Dictionary

Examples of journey, collocations with journey.

These are words often used in combination with journey .

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

Translations of journey

Get a quick, free translation!

Word of the Day

hit the road

to leave a place or begin a journey

Searching out and tracking down: talking about finding or discovering things

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Definition of journey verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• They journeyed for seven long months.
• Human beings have long desired to journey into space.
• In 1834 they journeyed south, staying in Rome and Naples.
• It's a chance to journey through one of America's last wildernesses.

Definitions on the go

Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

journey in British English

Journey in american english, examples of 'journey' in a sentence journey, cobuild collocations journey, trends of journey.

View usage for: All Years Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years

Browse alphabetically journey

• journalistic objectivity
• journalling
• journey alone
• journey north
• journey of self-discovery
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'J'

Related terms of journey

• bus journey
• car journey
• sea journey
• bumpy journey
• coach journey
• View more related words

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What’s a Plural Noun? (Definition, Examples, Grammar Rules)

What is a plural noun? In English, there are two forms of nouns : singular and plural (with many types of nouns that follow it). The singular form of a noun is used to refer to one item . For example: a book. The plural form is used to refer to two or more objects. For example: two books. As we refer to the noun “book,” we add a -S to it to make sure that it signifies we are speaking about multiple objects (or multiple nouns).

Let’s jump in to learn more about plural nouns…

What is a Plural Noun?

A plural noun is a noun if it refers to two or more individuals, entities, things, or concepts. There are many exceptions, but most plural nouns end in -s or -es, making them easy to identify.

Particularly, irregular plural nouns have unique plural forms for each word form, such as the words child and children for the plural form

What is a Singular Noun?

Singular nouns refer to one place, person, or thing. For example, when we refer to a “book,” this is a singular noun.

Since we are referring to one single book, which is an object, it makes it both a singular and a noun.

What’s the Difference Between Singular and Plural Nouns?

Luckily, it’s easy to comprehend the difference. The confusion often subsides in the way the word forms are put together and how the word ends are altered to create the plural noun form.

The key difference is that we are referring to more than one person, object, thing, or place.

What is a Plural Possessive Noun?

A plural possessive noun is still a plural noun, although it contains an apostrophe . The apostrophe is used to show possession.

For example, “boss” and “bosses’.” Take the following sentence , “We went to my bosses’ house.”

In this example, we add the apostrophe to the plural possessive noun “boss” in order to show possession to the home (or house). Plural possessive nouns are typically paired with a verb or adverb . Modifying the possession of the sentence subject .

From our example, the sentence subject would be “the house.”

What is an Irregular Plural Noun?

Regular and irregular plural nouns both serve the same function—indicating more than one name, place, animal, or thing, depending on the referred noun.

E.g. One tree , many trees . One fox , many foxes . One cake , many cakes .

Regular and irregular nouns can coexist in the same sentence in both singular and plural forms and still make sense. It’s important, though, to use the correct endings for each of these nouns.

For example, Ron had two pencils and one pen in his school bag . He had five books on each of his bookshelves .

Here, pen and school bag are singular nouns, pencils and books are regular plural nouns, and bookshelves is an irregular plural noun.

• Pencils have a -s at the end, indicating that there is more than one of them (in our case, two pencils).
• Bookshelves have a-ves at the end instead of a -f, indicating that there is more than one bookshelf.

Rules for the Formation of Plural Nouns:

In order not to get confused in the intricacies of the formation of plural nouns, it is enough to remember the basic rule. Well, then , there is nothing more important in learning a language than practicing speaking it.

The basic rule for plural formation is adding the ending -s to the word.

For example:

• A monkey – monkeys (monkey – monkeys)
• A lion – lions (lion – lions)
• A cucumber – cucumbers (cucumber – cucumbers)

But it happens that just adding -S does not work for all plural nouns. This is because there is difficulty of the pronunciation the word and overall clarity of the sentence subject. Take the word glass – try adding -ES: glasses.

If you pronounce it, you can’t hear the difference between the word glass in the singular and glasses in the plural form. This is an example of how pronunciation and writing can sometimes differ.

In these cases, you need to add the ending “ES”

• A glass – glasses
• A potato – potatoes
• A brush – brushes
• A bus – buses
• A watch – watches
• A box – boxes

Plural Noun Examples of Words Ending In “O”

Some words ending in -O have plural noun grammar exceptions. And we only add the letter -s:

• A radio – radios
• A video – videos
• A hippo – hippos
• A photo – photos
• A rhino – rhinos
• A piano – pianos

Plural Noun Examples of Words Ending In “F” or “EF”

The letter “F” is distinguished from other plural noun rules. When the word ends in -f / -ef, then in the plural, you need to change the ending to -ves (pronounce [vz]):

• A scarf – scarves
• A leaf – leaves
• A thief – thieves
• A shelf – shelves

Plural Noun Examples of Words Ending In “Y”

If nouns end in a consonant sound, then the plural word will look like this: we remove -y, and instead write -ies (while pronouncing the sound [z]):

• A lorry – lorries
• A baby – babies

Examples of Exceptions to the Pluralization of English Nouns:

There are many exception words in American English. And it can get confusing. If you just started learning the English language, you don’t need to memorize all of them. For first time English speakers, learning the basics of plural nouns can be sufficient in comprehending basic sentences and writing formally.

Let’s start with a few of the plural noun exceptions that change the word entirely:

• A man – men
• A woman – women
• A foot – feet
• A mouse – mice
• A tooth – teeth
• A goose – geese
• A child – children
• An ox – oxen

Words that Stay the Same in Singular and Plural Form:

Words like deer, sheep , hair, apparatus, series, species, heathen, and cannon

These are those words in English that remain the same in both singular and plural. The adjectives or articles used before them indicate whether they are singular or plural.

• A swine – swine
• A deer – deer
• A sheep – sheep
• A trout – trout
• A species – species

For Example:

• Two deer were caught .
• His hair is black.

Always Plural Word Forms:

Most commonly, plural verbs will get used alongside these words. Although, these words will always stay in their plural form and never change.

• Credentials

Examples of Visible Singular Plural Nouns:

Some collective nouns like folk, cattle, mankind, police, peasantry, public, people, cavalry, vermin, gentry, infantry, majority, tenantry, and bulk look singular but they are plural.

A plural verb will be used alongside these noun forms.

• Cattle are grazing in the field.
• The police are coming.

Grammar Rules of Plural Nouns (And Irregular, Regular, or Singular)

Rule #1: for nouns ending with -f, replace -f with -ves.

To form plurals of nouns ending with the letter -f, replace -f with -ves at the end of the word.

Similarly, to form plurals of nouns ending with the letters -fe, replace -fe with -ves at the end of the word.

Below are some irregular nouns that follow this rule.

A: He had treasured his grandmother’s clothes on the blue shelf .

B: He had treasured his grandmother’s clothes on the blue shelves .

In example A, the singular form, shelf , is mentioned. In example B, the plural form of shelf — shelves —is mentioned.

A: The thief escaped from the room.

B: The thieves escaped from the room.

In example A, the singular form, thief , is mentioned. In example B, the plural form of thief — thieves —is mentioned.

Rule #2: For nouns ending in -o, add -es at the end of the noun.

A: A mosquito troubled an elephant in the jungle.

B: The mosquitoes troubled an elephant in the jungle.

In example A, the singular form, mosquito , is mentioned. In example B, the plural form of mosquito — mosquitoes —is mentioned.

A: Patrick heard the echo of an old woman in the church.

B: Patrick heard echoes of an old woman in the church.

In example A, the singular form, echo , is mentioned. In example B, the plural form of echo — echoes —is mentioned.

Rule #3 For nouns ending in -y form plural by replacing -y with -ies

A: At night, Rachel dreamt of a fairy who would take her to a fairyland.

B: At night, Rachel dreamt of fairies who would take her to a fairyland.

In example A, the singular form, fairy , is mentioned. In example B, the plural form of fairy — fairies —is mentioned.

A: By evening, the army proceeded toward the base camp.

B: By evening, the armies proceeded toward the base camp.

In example A, the singular form, army , is mentioned. In example B, the plural form of army — armies —is mentioned.

Rule #4: For nouns with changing vowels

A: Mike’s tooth ached terribly after eating jelly candies.

B: Mike’s teeth ached terribly after eating jelly candies.

In example A, tooth is an irregular noun in the singular form. To form the plural of tooth , the vowels of the noun are changed. So, -oo becomes -ee. In example B, teeth is an irregular plural noun .

A: There is a woman waiting in the office, asking for Mr. Ben.

B: There are women waiting in the office, asking for Mr. Ben.

In example A, woman is an irregular noun in singular form. To form the plural of woman , the vowel of the noun is changed.* So, -a becomes -e. In example B, women is an irregular plural noun.

*woman has two vowels—o and a—but only a is changed in the plural form.

Rule # 5: For Nouns that change dramatically

The plural form of such nouns is difficult to predict because it does not follow a specific pattern. When in doubt, look up the word in the dictionary.

A: She is the child of God .

B: They are the children of God.

In example A, child is an irregular noun in singular form. The plural form of child is stated in example B, i.e., children .

A: Matt had an ox and a hen in his farm.

B: Matt had oxen and hens in his farm.

In example A, ox is an irregular noun in the singular form. The plural form of ox is stated in example B, i.e., oxen .

Rule #6 For nouns that remain unchanged

A: Uncle Vernon ate a tasty shrimp for dinner .

B: Uncle Vernon ate a plate full of tasty shrimp for dinner.

In example A, shrimp is an irregular noun. In example B, the plural form of shrimp is also shrimp . Here, the singular and plural forms of the irregular noun are the same.

A: The engineer designed the prototype for a spacecraft and submitted it to NASA.

B: The engineer designed the prototype for the spacecraft and submitted them to NASA.

In example A, spacecraft is an irregular noun. In example B, the plural form of spacecraft is also spacecraft . Here, the singular and plural forms of the irregular noun are the same.

Did you know that not all words can be pluralized? Words that are used only in the singular are called uncountable, i.e. the ones we can’t count. For example, milk. You wouldn’t say one milk, two milks. No, you can only count milk in something, in packages, glasses: one package of milk, two glasses of milk.

The primary way to form the plural of nouns is to add the ending -s or -es to the singular form of the noun. Nouns ending in -y with a preceding consonant are pluralized by adding -es, and changing -y to -i.

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About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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When Did Everything Become a ‘Journey’?

Changing our hair, getting divorced, taking spa vacations — they’re not just things we do; they’re “journeys.” The quest for better health is the greatest journey of all.

By Lisa Miller

Drew Barrymore has been talking with Gayle King about her perimenopause “journey ,” and the soccer phenom Carli Lloyd has just divulged her fertility “journey .” By sharing her breast cancer story, Olivia Munn has said she hopes she will “help others find comfort, inspiration, and support on their own journey.” A recent interview with Anne Hathaway has been posted on Instagram with a headline highlighting her “ sobriety journey ,” and Kelly Clarkson has opened up about what Women’s Health calls her “ weight loss journey .” On TikTok, a zillion influencer-guides lead pilgrims on journeys through such ephemeral realms as faith, healing, grief, friendship, mastectomy, and therapy — often selling courses, supplements or eating plans as if they were talismans to help safeguard their path.

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

“Journey” has decisively taken its place in American speech. The word holds an upbeat utility these days, signaling struggle without darkness or detail, and expressing — in the broadest possible way — an individual’s experience of travails over time.

It’s often related to physical or mental health, but it can really be about anything: “Putting on your socks can be a journey of self-discovery,” said Beth Patton, who lives in Central Indiana and has relapsing polychondritis, an inflammatory disorder. In the chronic disease community, she said, “journey” is a debated word. “It’s a way to romanticize ordinary or unpleasant experiences, like, ‘Oh, this is something special and magical.’” Not everyone appreciates this, she said.

According to the linguistics professor Jesse Egbert at Northern Arizona University, the use of “journey” (the noun) has nearly doubled in American English since 1990, with the most frequent instances occurring online. Mining a new database of conversational American English he and colleagues are building, Egbert could show exactly how colloquial “journey” has become: One woman in Pennsylvania described her “journey to become a morning person,” while another, in Massachusetts, said she was “on a journey of trying to like fish.”

Egbert was able to further demonstrate how the word itself has undergone a transformative journey — what linguists call “semantic drift.” It wasn’t so long ago that Americans mostly used “journey” to mean a literal trip, whereas now it’s more popular as a metaphor. Egbert demonstrated this by searching the more than one billion words in a database called COCA for the nouns people put before “journey” to clarify what sort they’re on. Between 1990 and 2005, the most common modifier was “return,” followed by words like “ocean,” “train,” “mile,” “night,” “overland,” and “bus.”

But between 2006 and 2019, usage shifted. “Return” remains the most common noun modifier to journey, but now it’s followed closely by “faith,” “cancer,” and “life.” Among the top 25 nouns used to modify “journey” today are: “soul,” “adoption,” and “hair.”

In almost every language, “journey” has become a way to talk abstractly about outcomes, for good reason: According to what linguists call the “primary metaphor theory,” humans learn as babies crawling toward their toys that “‘purpose’ and ‘destination’ coincide,” said Elena Semino, a linguist at Lancaster University who specializes in metaphor. As we become able to accomplish our goals while sitting still (standardized tests! working from home!), ambition and travel diverge. Yet we continue to envision achievement as a matter of forward progress. This is why we say, “‘I know what I want, but I don’t know how to get there,’” Semino explained. “Or ‘I’m at a crossroads.’”

So it’s not surprising, perhaps, that as Americans started seeing good health as a desirable goal, achievable through their own actions and choices — and marketers encouraged these pursuits and commodified them — the words “journey” and “health” became inextricably linked. In 1898, C.W. Post wrote a pamphlet he called “The Road to Wellville,” which he attached to each box of his new product, Grape-Nuts. In 1926, the Postum Cereal Company republished the pamphlet as a small book , now with the subtitle, “A Personally Conducted Journey to the Land of Good Health by the Route of Right Living.”

The language (and business) of self-help so completely saturates culture, “it gets kind of hard to trace where a word started and where it came from,” said Jessica Lamb-Shapiro, author of “Promise Land: My Journey Through America’s Self-Help Culture.” Americans like to put an optimistic, brave spin on suffering, and “journey” seeped in because, Lamb-Shapiro speculated, it’s bland enough to “tackle really difficult things,” yet positive enough to “make them palatable and tolerable.”

“Journey” had fully entered medical speak by the 2010s. Many cancer patients recoiled from the “battle” language traditionally used by doctors, as well as by friends and relatives. In “Illness as Metaphor,” Susan Sontag had noted back in 1978 that “every physician and every attentive patient is familiar with, if perhaps inured to, this military terminology.” But now, opposition to the notion of disease as an enemy combatant reached a crescendo. To reflexively call an experience of cancer a battle created “winners” and “losers,” where death or long suffering represented a failure — of will, strength, determination, diet, behavior, or outlook — on the part of the patient.

Many patients “detest” the military metaphor, Robert Miller conceded in Oncology Times in 2010. Knowing this, Miller, then a breast cancer oncologist affiliated with Johns Hopkins, said he struggled to find the right words in composing a condolence note to a patient’s spouse. “I welcome suggestions,” he wrote.

“Journey” seemed less judgmental, more neutral. In Britain, the National Health Service had started to almost exclusively use “journey” language in reference to cancer (treatments were “pathways”). Semino, the metaphor expert whose father had died of cancer at a time when patients’ diagnoses were hidden from them, wanted to examine how patients talked about it — and whether that language caused them harm. In a research paper Semino published with colleagues in 2015, she looked at how patients talked about their cancer on forums online and found that they still used “battle” as often as they did “journey,” and that “journey” could be disempowering, as well.

For some people, talking about cancer as a “journey” gave them a sense of control and camaraderie — buddies traveling the same path — but others used the term to convey their exhaustion. Having cancer “is like trying to drive a coach and horses uphill with no back wheels on the coach,” one man wrote. Patients used “journey” to describe just how passive they felt or how reluctant to bear the burden of their disease. Separately, patients have told Semino how much they hate the word “journey,” saying it trivializes their experience, that it’s clichéd.

But it was too late: The metaphor already was everywhere. In 2014, Anna Wintour was asked which word she would like to banish from the fashion lexicon and she said, “journey.” The following year, Yolanda Foster, the mother of Gigi and Bella Hadid, told People magazine that while she was on her Lyme disease journey, two of her children were afflicted, too. Medical journals and government publications began describing insomnia , the effort to achieve health-care reform , diabetes , and the development of RSV vaccines as a journey. The term “healing journey,” in use since at least the mid-2010s, blew up around 2021. The phrase in news media referenced the experience of cancer , celebrity weight loss , trafficking of Indigenous children , Sean Combs’s creative process , spa vacations , amputation , and better sex .

On the Reddit channel Chronic Illness, one poster eloquently fumed that persistent sickness is not a journey. “It’s endless, pointless and repetitive. There’s no new ground to gain here.” The cultural insistence on illness as a journey, from which a traveler can learn useful, or even life-changing lessons, becomes something to “disassociate from, survive, endure.” It “causes social isolation.”

Although she concedes its downsides, Stephanie Swanson likes to think of herself as on a journey. Swanson, who is 37 and lives in Kansas City, was an engineer by training, with three young children, a career and a sideline as an aerialist, when she got long Covid in the summer of 2022. The things that had made her successful — her physical stamina, her ability to solve problems — evaporated. “I’ve had to give up my career, my hobbies, my physical abilities,” she said. “I’ve gained 30 pounds on my tiny dancer body. I’m doing the best I can with what I have.”

Swanson makes a distinction between “journey” and “trip”: The latter is circumscribed by a start, an end, and hotel and restaurant reservations along the way. She sees “journey” as a way to capture the arc of a whole life.

When she was running operations at a medical center at the University of Kansas, she always imagined slowing down to enjoy her kids more or to read a book, but “I felt like my head was going to explode.” Now Swanson has become a person who must rent a wheelchair for her upcoming trip to New York City, and she likes how “journey” accommodates all the challenging, unexpected circumstances she confronts. “To me, the word ‘journey’ resonates with choosing to be on a path of acceptance but not standing still,” she said. “I’m not giving up, but recognizing that this is the path I’m on.”

Ramani Durvasula uses “journey” advisedly. A clinical psychologist in Los Angeles who treats women in emotionally abusive relationships, she recognizes how “journey” has been “eye-rollingly cheapened” and has started to experiment with alternatives. She’s tried “process.” She’s tried “healing trajectory.” But she falls back on journey, because it, more than any other word, expresses the step-by-step, sometimes circular or backward nature of enduring something hard. “Arguably, a journey doesn’t have a destination,” she said. “Have you ever taken a hike in a loop? And you end up exactly where you parked your car?”

But Durvasula does object to the easy-breezy healing so many journey hashtags promote, what she calls the “post-sobriety, post-weight-loss, now-I’m-in-love-again-after-my-toxic-relationship” reels. Too many TikToks show the crying in the car then the cute party dress, skipping over the middle, when people feel ugly, angry, self-loathing, and hopeless. “I want to see the hell,” she said. “I want to see the nightmare.”

When in 2020 a Swedish linguist named Charlotte Hommerberg studied how advanced cancer patients describe their experience, she found they used “battle” and “journey,” like everyone else. But most also used a third metaphor that conveyed not progress, fight or hope. They said cancer was like “imprisonment,” a feeling of being stuck — like a “free bird in a cage,” one person wrote. Powerless and going nowhere.

Read by Lisa Miller

Audio produced by Tally Abecassis .