dears
The plural of "dear" is dears.
Most English nouns form the plural by adding -s, and dear follows this rule.
Meaning: a kind or lovable person (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Use a plural verb with dears: the dears are. The possessive plural adds only an apostrophe: dears'.
How do you pronounce it?
dear is pronounced /dɪə/. The plural ending sounds like /z/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use an apostrophe to make a plural. dears means more than one, while an apostrophe shows that something belongs to someone.
Did you know?
- Young children learning English often say mouses and foots. They are applying the -s rule to every noun, which shows they have learned the rule itself.
Examples in context
- The children were real dears.Singular: The child was a real dear.
- My grandparents are such dears.Singular: My grandmother is such a dear.
