What’s the plural of “wharf”?
Both wharfs and wharves are accepted plurals of wharf.
Several wharfs lined the harbor. (Regular plural)
One of the wharfs is damaged, and the other wharves are fine. (Inconsistent pluralization)
What’s the singular of wharf?
It’s just wharf.
What’s a wharf/wharfs?
The dictionary defines the word wharf as:
An area like a wide wall built near the edge of the sea or a river where ships can be tied and goods can be taken off them: “The crates were unloaded onto the wharf.“
Other irregular plural nouns (f-/-fe suffixes)
Wharf belongs to the category of irregular plural nouns that end in the sibilant -f/fe. See the following chart of irregular plural nouns ending in -f/-fe, and convert to -ves as a plural (for the most part):
Nouns that end in f/fe use ves as a plural. By Gflex on Canva.
As a rule of thumb, nouns that end in -f usually switch to -ves as a plural. Keep in mind, this isn’t always the case, like with ‘roof’, which only adds an -s.
Aside from being irregular plural noun forms, these words all have Germanic/PIE (Proto-Indo-European) origin. These words have Germanic roots, which is likely why they all behave the same from the singular case to plural.
Wharf & wharves, used in context
| Noun: wharf | Example sentences |
|---|---|
| wharf (singular) |
Its name is kept in a wharf and a ward of the City. Franklin arrived in Philadelphia on the 13th of September, disembarking at the same wharf as when he had first entered the city. A wharf for building and repairing iron steamers was constructed in 1889. |
| wharves/wharfs (plural) |
The old harbor was lined with decaying wharves where fishing boats once docked. All of the wharfs were crowded with sailors getting ready to set sail. The city invested in renovating the historic wharves to attract more tourists. |
Synonyms for wharf
- dock
- harbor
- port
- pier
- landing
- berth
- jetty
- levee
- quay
Origin of the word wharf
From etymology online on wharf (n.):
“Late Old English hwearf “shore, bank where ships can tie up,” earlier “dam, embankment,” from Proto-Germanic *hwarfaz.”
Practice: Forms of “Wharf”
The city decided to rebuild the old ______ along the waterfront.
A large ship was docked at the main ______.
Fishermen were casting their nets from the various ______.
The restaurant on the ______ has a great view of the harbor.
The historic harbor is known for its old, wooden ______.
FAQs
What’s the plural of wharf?
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Is “wharf” an irregular plural?
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What does the word wharf mean?
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How is the singular form “wharf” used?
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How are the plurals “wharves/wharfs” used?
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Yash, D. "How to Use Wharf Plural (Explained, With Examples)." Grammarflex, Aug 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/wharf-plural/.
