How to Make a Word Plural: The Apostrophe “S”
Dear Legal Writer,
I wanted to title a post, “do’s & don’ts.” But I had no clue how to make either word plural. So I enlisted my friend, Lindsey Lawton, to help.
Here’s what we found out:
🔷 RULE: DON’T use an apostrophe before an “s” to make something plural unless BOTH (1) and (2) apply:
(1) the last letter of the word is lowercase, AND
(2) not adding the apostrophe would cause confusion.
Also, all else equal, you should strive for consistency within the same writing.
🔷 EXPLANATION: For example, under the Rule, we should NOT use an apostrophe in:
▪️ “DVDs”
—the plural of DVD, where “D” is lowercase, is clear as DVDs
▪️ “1990s”
—none of the years take an apostrophe, because numbers are not “lowercase” and they are clear without one
▪️“donuts”
—the simple plural of “donut” is clear
Under the exceptions, however, you DO use an apostrophe with single letters, “a’s,” “b’s,” and “c’s.”
That’s because “as,” “bs,” and “cs” would cause confusion:
— “as” is another word,
— “bs” looks like an abbreviation for another word
— “cs” looks like a typo.
🔷 APPLICATION
🔻 As to “do”:
The plural for “do” without an apostrophe is “dos.”
To us, “dos” looks like a word pronounced “doss” or “dose.”
That’s confusing to the Reader.
And so, “dos” is incorrect. Clarity trumps consistency.
🔻 As to “don’t”:
The plural for “don’t” with an apostrophe looks odd: “don’t’s.”
That seems to be more awkward than “don’ts,” and awkwardness can cause confusion.
So, “don’ts” is correct.
***
NOTE: Writing do’s & don’ts IS inconsistent
—Why add an apostrophe to “do,” but not to “don’t?”
If we were being consistent, the correct punctuation would be
(1) dos and don’ts [no apostrophe on either]
– OR –
(2) do’s and don’t’s [added apostrophe on both].
But both those pairs have obvious problems. 🙂
**
NB: According to Grammar Girl, the style guides and usage books disagree on how to make “do” and “don’t” plural.
— The Chicago Manual of Style and others suggest we use “dos and don’ts.”
— The Associated Press and others recommend “do’s and don’ts.”
🔷 CONCLUSION: Both “dos & don’ts” or “do’s & don’ts” are grammatically acceptable.
Fondly,
💌 Amanda
P.S. I prefer “do’s and don’ts” because that approach avoids the “doss” or “dose” confusion.
Lindsey prefers “dos and don’ts” for consistency within the phrase. She says while it’s true that it risks some confusion, she hopes the word “don’ts” provides the necessary clarification.
🗳️ What’s your preference?
—> —> And are you following Lindsey yet?? She’s an awesome source of legal-writing knowledge and advice that I trust.
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