colonies
The plural of "colony" is colonies.
When a noun ends in a consonant followed by y, the y changes to i and -es is added: colonies.
Meaning: a place ruled by another country, or a group of animals living together (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Use a plural verb with colonies: the colonies are. The possessive plural adds only an apostrophe: colonies'.
How do you pronounce it?
colony is pronounced /ˈkɒl.ə.ni/. The plural ending sounds like /z/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Change the y to i before adding -es: colonies. 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
- The ants live in large colonies.Singular: The ants live in a large colony.
- The country was once one of Britain's colonies.Singular: The country was once a British colony.
