What’s the plural of “hoof”?
The horse’s hooves needed trimming before the race.
The blacksmith inspected the pony’s hoofs for wear and tear.
Both hooves and hoofs are accepted plural forms of a hoof. Sometimes, English grammar is up to personal preference and choice—it’s a rare occurrence, but the plural of hoof happens to be one of those cases. It’s not a debate of British English vs American English—hoofs and hooves are both correct plurals. Anyone that tries to tell you otherwise should quit horsin’ around, and learn their proper grammar plural noun forms!
As a rule of thumb, it’s best to stay consistent in writing as a form; so choose one, and stick to it.
Is hoofs/hooves a regular or irregular plural noun?
Technically speaking, a horses hoof is both a regular and irregular plural noun form, since it hoofs and hooves are accepted plural forms of hoof. That said, hooves is an irregular plural form, since it ends in -ves. Most singular nouns that end in -f or -fe modify to -ves in their plural forms. See the following chart of irregular plurals:
New English Language Learning Tips: to all my new English language learners reading this blog, English is a peculiar language. Stick around, and be patient with yourself while you learn the grammar at your own pace.
Rules of English grammar
Most nouns change their spelling slightly based on whether we are referring to one of something, or more than one. This is the difference between singular and plural noun forms: whether we are speaking about one thing (in the singular form,) or more than one, as a plural. As a matter of course, most plural noun forms end in –s: pens, pencils, cars, tables, chairs, plants and desks all use the conventional English grammar plural format of adding an -s at the end to indicate that there are more than one of that thing.
The -s suffix is simple and to the point: all you need to do in these cases is add an s at the end of the word, and immediately it becomes clear that what’s mentioned is one, or more than one of that thing (whatever it may be.) English is riddled with exceptions, and there are multiple ways to demonstrate plural noun forms; though technically, they are all considered irregular plural nouns, as they do not end in the -s or -es, as regular plural noun forms do.
Other similar nouns
Each of these noun forms have in common is that they swap vowels with another vowel to demonstrate that there are more than one. This is an effect of the I-umlaut, which is brought down from the Germanic languages (which is what mainly comprises Modern English.)
Hoofs/hooves, shown in sentence examples
| Noun: hoof | Example sentences |
|---|---|
| hoof (singular) |
The horse had a stone caught in its hoof. Each hoof print in the mud told a story of the trail. A single, loud clatter of a hoof echoed in the quiet stable. |
| hooves (plural) |
The sound of galloping hooves grew louder as the herd approached. The blacksmith carefully trimmed all four of the pony’s hooves. Goats are known for their nimble hooves, which allow them to climb steep mountains. |
The plural of “hoof,” associate it with the sound of multiple hooves hitting the ground: “hooves” sounds like the repeated impact, while “hoofs” is less evocative.
Etymology of the word hoof/hooves
Old English hof “hoof,” from Proto-Germanic hōfaz.
In Review
Grammar (RULES!)
- The singular of hoof is just hoof.
- The plural of hoof is hoofs or hooves.
Practice: Hoofs vs. hooves
The blacksmith is fitting new shoes onto the horse’s ______.
The horse had a stone stuck in its left front ______.
We could hear the sound of ______ clattering on the cobblestone street.
A deer’s ______ is split into two parts.
The cattle left prints from their ______ in the mud.
FAQs
What are the accepted plurals of hoof?
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Are both hoofs & hooves correct?
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Is hoofs or hooves preferred?
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Is it British vs American English?
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When should I use hoofs/hooves?
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Yash, D. "How to Use Hoof Plural (Explained, Examples & Worksheet)." Grammarflex, Aug 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/hoof-plural/.
