butterflies
The plural of "butterfly" is butterflies.
When a noun ends in a consonant followed by y, the y changes to i and -es is added: butterflies.
Meaning: an insect with large colorful wings (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Use a plural verb with butterflies: the butterflies are. The possessive plural adds only an apostrophe: butterflies'.
How do you pronounce it?
butterfly is pronounced /ˈbʌ.tə(ɹ).flaɪ/. The plural ending sounds like /z/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Change the y to i before adding -es: butterflies. The y stays only when a vowel comes before it, as in days.
Did you know?
- Family names keep their y in the plural: the Kennedys, not the Kennedies.
Examples in context
- Butterflies love this flower.Singular: A butterfly loves this flower.
- We saw dozens of butterflies in the park.Singular: We saw one butterfly in the park.
