'Deer' or 'Deers': What is the Plural of 'Deer'?

When it comes to making the plural form of the word ‘deer,’ a lot of people get tripped up because it doesn’t follow the standard rules for pluralization. This article will cover that and how to use multiple forms of the word in a sentence correctly.

The plural form of the word ‘deer’ is ‘deer.’ It is incorrect to say ‘deers.’ 

Deer Definition & Meaning 

Before we get into the details about pluralization, let’s quickly define the word, so you know how to correctly use it in a sentence later.

According to Cambridge Dictionary, the word can be defined as “a quite large animal with four legs that eats grass and leaves. The male has antlers (= wide horns like branches). The female is called a hind or a doe and the male a stag or a buck: a herd of deer.”

Merriam-Webster defines it as “any of various slender-legged, even-toed, ruminant mammals (family Cervidae, the deer family) having usually brownish fur and deciduous antlers borne by the males of nearly all and by the females only of the caribou: CERVID; archaic: ANIMAL.”

The Plural of Deer

If you’re learning English for the first time, making the plural form of ‘deer’ can seem confusing because it doesn’t follow the standard pluralization rules for English nouns.

So, what’s the right way to pluralize it?

What is the Plural of Deer?

 As we mentioned earlier, the plural of the word is ‘deer.’

Standard Pluralization Rules

In English, the standard rule for making words plural is to add an ‘s’ or ‘es.’

For example:

• Fan > Fans
• Shoe > Shoes
• Building > Buildings
• Watch > Watches
• Ex > Exes
• Catch > Catches

In some cases, the word remains unchanged in its plural form. Take a look at a few examples:

• Sheep > Sheep
• Fish > Fish
• Swine > Swine
• Moose > Moose
• Shrimp > Shrimp

Deer vs Deers

You might be wondering whether it’s ever okay to say ‘deers,'  but saying or writing ‘deers’ is never correct. It’s ungrammatical.

Using the Singular and Plural Forms in a Sentence

Ready to put your knowledge to the test and learn how to use both forms in a sentence?

Here are a few examples of how:

• Look at that baby deer trying to catch up to its mother. (singular)
• That deer looks injured; maybe we should help it. (singular)
• That family of deer looks so peaceful. (plural)
• There are always deer coming into my backyard looking for food. (plural)

Singular and Plural Possessive Forms

Both the singular and plural possessive form of the word is ‘deer’s.’

Take a look at a few examples of how to use it in a sentence:

• We saw a deer’s footprint in the dirt in our backyard. (singular)
• The deer’s habitat looks just like the forest. (plural)

Final Thoughts on 'Deer'

All the different rules for pluralizing can seem overwhelming if you’re learning English for the first time. But luckily, some words are easy to pluralize, such as shrimp, sheep, and swine.

To help you remember how to pluralize it, remember that this is one of the words that remains unchanged in its plural form.

If you find yourself getting stuck often with similar confusing words, don’t hesitate to browse through our collection of articles on confusing words.