What is the British spelling of 'pluralize'?

The standard British spelling is 'pluralise'.

Is 'pluralize' only used for words?

Primarily, yes. Its core meaning is grammatical. It can be used metaphorically (e.g., pluralize interests), but this is less common.

What's the opposite of 'pluralize'?

The direct antonym is 'singularize' (to make singular).

Can 'pluralize' be used as a noun?

No, it is a verb. The related noun is 'pluralization' (or 'pluralisation').

Is “pluralize” formal?

Pluralize is usually formal, technical, academic in register.

How do you pronounce “pluralize”?

Pluralize: in British English it is pronounced /ˈplʊərəlaɪz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈplʊrəˌlaɪz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

pluralize: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

UK/ˈplʊərəlaɪz/US/ˈplʊrəˌlaɪz/

Formal, Technical, Academic

My Flashcards

Quick answer

What does “pluralize” mean?

To make a word or form express or refer to more than one.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

To make a word or form express or refer to more than one.

To become multiple or to cause something to exist in multiple forms or instances; in computing, to process data to handle plural forms.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant difference in meaning. The spelling 'pluralise' is the standard British form.

Connotations

Identical technical/academic connotations in both varieties.

Frequency

Slightly more frequent in American English due to the '-ize' suffix being the standard, whereas British English sometimes uses '-ise'.

Grammar

How to Use “pluralize” in a Sentence

[Subject] + pluralize + [Direct Object] (e.g., The system pluralizes nouns.)[Direct Object] + be + pluralized + (by [Agent]) (e.g., Irregular nouns are pluralized differently.)

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

pluralize a nounautomatically pluralizeneed to pluralize

medium

rules to pluralizepluralize the wordpluralize names

weak

pluralize correctlypluralize itpluralize terms

Examples

Examples of “pluralize” in a Sentence

verb

British English

Most nouns pluralise by adding 's' or 'es'.
The software should correctly pluralise user-inputted words.

American English

How do you pluralize words ending in 'y'?
The algorithm fails to pluralize irregular nouns like 'mouse'.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Rare. Might be used metaphorically: 'The company aims to pluralize its revenue streams.'

Academic

Common in linguistics, grammar, and language studies.

Everyday

Uncommon. Used mainly when discussing language rules.

Technical

Common in computational linguistics, NLP, and software localization.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “pluralize”

Neutral

make plural

Weak

add an 's'inflect for number

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “pluralize”

singularize

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “pluralize”

Incorrect: 'pluralizate'. Correct: 'pluralize'.
Misspelling: 'plularize'.
Using it for non-grammatical multiplication where 'multiply' is better.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: The standard British spelling is 'pluralise'.
: Primarily, yes. Its core meaning is grammatical. It can be used metaphorically (e.g., pluralize interests), but this is less common.
: The direct antonym is 'singularize' (to make singular).
: No, it is a verb. The related noun is 'pluralization' (or 'pluralisation').
: To make a word or form express or refer to more than one.
: Pluralize is usually formal, technical, academic in register.
: Pluralize: in British English it is pronounced /ˈplʊərəlaɪz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈplʊrəˌlaɪz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think: 'PLURAL' + 'IZE' = To make into a PLURAL. Remember the 'plural' inside the word.

Conceptual Metaphor

GRAMMAR IS CONSTRUCTION (building correct forms); SINGULAR IS ONE, PLURAL IS MANY.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

You usually a noun ending in 's', 'x', 'z', 'ch', or 'sh' by adding 'es'.

Multiple Choice

What is the primary meaning of 'pluralize'?