decibels
The plural of "decibel" is decibels.
Most English nouns form the plural by adding -s, and decibel follows this rule.
Meaning: a unit for measuring how loud a sound is (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Use a plural verb with decibels: the decibels are. The possessive plural adds only an apostrophe: decibels'.
How do you pronounce it?
decibel is pronounced /ˈdɛsɪbɛl/. The plural ending sounds like /z/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use an apostrophe to make a plural. decibels means more than one, while an apostrophe shows that something belongs to someone.
Did you know?
- Only a handful of English nouns still form the plural without -s, among them men, feet, teeth and children.
Examples in context
- The noise reached ninety decibels.Singular: The noise reached one decibel.
- Decibels measure loudness.Singular: A decibel measures loudness.
