Is “syllabus” plural or singular?
We collected all the syllabi from the professors’ offices.
The department archives digital copies of all past syllabuses.
The students asked for the syllabus for their required courses.
Please compile the syllabusies for next semester’s classes.
The plural of syllabus is syllabi or syllabuses. What’s with the word syllabus, and why does it behave the way it does from its singular to plural form? Keep reading.
What is the definition of syllabus?
The online dictionary defines the word syllabus as “a summary outline of a discourse, treatise, or course of study or of examination requirements.”
What’s the plural of syllabus?
The plural of syllabus (syllabi) is particularly irregular in English: not only does it omit the regular suffix, it changes the spelling of the entire word and, in turn, the way it’s pronounced. This is unusual, even by the standards set from the English language.
Only a few other select nouns in English follow this same pattern: cactus plural is cacti, hippopotamus/hippopotami; octopus: octopi, and so on.
Latin nouns ending in -us/-i
Syllabus, and nouns that follow its pattern, belong to the Latinate family of irregular nouns in Modern English. Syllabus is a Latin word; this is evident by the distinctly Latin suffixes -us/-i. Plurals in English mostly add an -s/-es, so syllabus/syllabi stick out.
Not only does syllabus omit the regular -s/-es of plural noun forms, but the way syllabus modifies from singular to plural effectively changes the entire spelling of the word by replacing –us with i. See the chart:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| cactus | cacti (or cactuses) |
| octopus | octopi (or octopuses) |
| radius | radii (or radiuses) |
| fungus | fungi (or funguses) |
| alumnus | alumni (or alumnuses) |
| syllabus | syllabi (or syllabuses) |
Syllabus used in context (in sentences)
| Examples of “syllabus” | Examples of “syllabuses/syllabi” |
|---|---|
| The professor handed out a syllabus to the class so he wouldn’t have to explain all of the lessons for the year to them. | We have developed a new syllabi for them providing for teaching of Pakistan studies, Mathematics, Science and English along with religious subjects. |
| A class syllabus usually includes dates for major exams and quizzes for the entire semester. | We identified and analyzed 159 course syllabi of 81 art universities, schools and academies. |
| The pilots who finish the syllabus first will act as instructors for the remainder of the syllabus for the others. | The research instrument used syllabi, lesson plans, observation sheets, and tests. |
| A revised syllabus in Archeology offers a wider range of courses. | Their support was reflected in the change of educational policies and school syllabi that followed. |
| All pupils, regardless of ability, are taught the same syllabus. | Increasingly, philosophers are working to diversify their syllabi, their journals, their textbooks, and their conferences. |
Synonyms & nearby words
| Synonyms of syllabus | Nearby Words |
|---|---|
| curriculum | lesson plan |
| outline | course guide |
| program | study plan |
| synopsis | agenda |
| rundown | schedule of topics |
| schedule | reading list |
Origin of the word syllabus
1650s, “table of contents of a series of lectures, etc.,” from Late Latin syllabus “list,” ultimately a misreading of Greek sittybos “parchment label, table of contents,” of unknown origin.
Worksheet: Latin nouns
The teacher handed out the ______ on the first day of class.
The students compared the ______ for each course they were taking.
She completed all the assignments in the ______ before the exam.
The geometry test asked students to label all the ______ of each circle.
The forest was teeming with unusual ______.
FAQs
What is the plural of syllabus?
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Are both syllabi and syllabuses correct?
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Is “syllabusies” a correct plural?
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Why does syllabus have two plurals?
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How is syllabus plural used?
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Sources
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Definition of syllabus.
Yash, D. "How to Use Syllabus Plural (Syllabuses, Syllab." Grammarflex, Aug 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/syllabus-plural/.
