What’s the plural of species?
The noun species is itself plural and refers to more than one of something. Therefore, species is a plural noun with no singular form. Certain plural nouns are only used as a plural; species is one such noun. These are called plural-only nouns.
Many species of plants and animals are endangered due to pollution.
One of the most at-risk species is the little brown bat.
What’s the singular of species?
A species refers to a class or kind of biological group. It has no singular noun form, since it refers to a collective or group (with shared attributes of some kind.)
What’s the definition of species?
The Merriam-Webster defines the word species as
A class of individuals having common attributes and designated by a common name. Specifically: “a logical division of a genus or more comprehensive class”.
Practice using the verb in different tenses with example sentences to memorize the correct forms.
Other irregular plural nouns
These nouns show no change between singular and plural noun forms:
Examples of the word species used in sentences
| Word Form | Examples |
|---|---|
| Other | Pandas are an endangered species.
Oak and arbutus trees are protected species here in Victoria. There are several thousand species of trees here. There are four species of large fruit-eating bats, called flying foxes, twenty of insect-eating bats, above twenty of land-rats, and five of water-rats. Many species of plants and animals are endangered due to pollution. |
Origin of the word species
“A class of individuals or things,” from Latin species “a particular sort, kind, or type” (opposed to genus), originally “a sight, look, view; outward appearance, shape, form,” a derivative of specere “to look at, to see, behold”.
Practice: Forms of “Species”
That is a very rare ______ of butterfly.
There are many ______ of fish in this coral reef.
The scientist discovered a new ______ of frog in the rainforest.
All ______ of primates are intelligent.
Is this ______ of plant endangered?
FAQs
What is the plural of “species”?
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Is “species” a singular or plural noun?
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Does “species” have a singular form?
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How is “species” used in a sentence?
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What type of noun is “species”?
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Sources
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Definition of species.
Yash, D. "How to Use Species Plural or Singular? (Explained, Examples)." Grammarflex, Aug 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/whats-the-plural-of-species/.
