Knives or Knifes: What is the Correct Plural Form?

A knife is a short sword or tool made of a thin metal blade with a handle. Learn about different types of knives and how to use them correctly with Grammar Monster.

Knives or Knifes: What is the Correct Plural Form?
A knife is a short sword or tool made of a thin metal blade with a handle. It is commonly used for cutting and can be either a hand-held instrument or a machine. Knives are used for many purposes, from cutting food to chopping wood. Fish knives have a short, curved, paddle-like blade and are used to remove tiny bones from delicate pieces of fish. They also have a handle that resembles the scales of a fish. The correct plural of knives follows the same rules as other nouns in English. The plural form of loaf is loaves, and the correct word to choose as a plural for person is people. When it comes to English grammar, there are some exceptions to the rules. Some nouns only have a plural form ending in -s or -ves. In addition, some nouns only have one form and have different meanings, such as money and newspapers. Other examples of irregular nouns are certain clothing words, which have the same form in the singular and the plural. A fish scaler is not as essential as a fillet knife, but it is equally useful when preparing whole fish. It helps you remove tiny bones from delicate fish, and the spine can even be blunted. Boning knives, on the other hand, are designed for cutting through tough meat. In Italian, the singular form of a noun ending in -gia will be -ge or -gie. In contrast, masculine nouns ending in -co, -go, or -ghe will change to -chi, -gia, or -ghe in the plural. While there is no general rule about when to use the singular or plural form of a noun, knowing the rules will make the process easier. If you are unsure of which is correct between knifes and knives, you can use the Grammar Monster to help you decide. To find out more, type #gm in the search box. Japanese knives, pocket knives, bread knives, German knives, cheese knives, serrated knives, dull knives, sashimi knives, tense knifes, angle knives and cheap knives are some examples of knife types.
Mable Adkerson
Mable Adkerson

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