What is the Plural of 'Trout'?

When it comes to making the plural version of the word ‘trout,’ it might seem a little tricky because the answer is two-fold.

The plural form of the word ‘trout’ is either ‘trout’ or ‘trouts.’ Either form is acceptable to use.

The Plural of Trout

If you’re writing about trout, you might be wondering how to make the plural form of the word correctly.

What is the Plural of ‘Trout’

As stated above, the plural form of the word is ‘trout’ or ‘trouts.’ You can use either one.

Standard Pluralization Rules

According to the standard rules of pluralization in English, you’d add an ‘s’ or ‘es’ to a word to make it plural. The same applies for this word, although other words follow different rules.

For example, with some nouns, the ending changes somewhat differently when you pluralize them.

Take a look at some examples:

• Mouse > Mice
• Die > Dice
• Child > Children
• Person > People
• Ox > Oxen

And some don’t change at all. Like in the case of these words:

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

Trout Definition & Meaning  

Now that you know the plural form of the word let’s take a closer look at what the word actually means, which will be helpful when it’s time to use it in a sentence.

The definition of trout is “any of various salmonoid food and sport fishes that are mostly smaller than the typical salmons and are anadromous or restricted to cool clear freshwater: a) any of various Old or New World fishes, b) any of various fishes (such as the largemouth bass) held to resemble the true trouts,” according to Merriam Webster.

How to Use Both Forms in a Sentence

Using the word in a sentence is simple. Follow this example:

• That trout is bigger than my arm. (singular)
• I caught a trout today; I’m pretty excited. (singular)
• I don’t want trout for dinner; we had trout for breakfast. (plural)
• Trout are closely related to salmon. (plural)

How to Use the Singular and Plural Possessive Forms

The singular possessive form of the word is ‘trout’s.’ The plural possessive form of the word is ‘trouts.’

To use both in a sentence, use the following as an example:

• That trout’s color is beautiful. (singular)
• My trout’s tank is a little dirty; I should probably give it a good scrub this weekend. (singular)
• The trouts’ exhibit at the aquarium was my favorite stop. (plural)

Final Thoughts on ‘Trout’

The plural of trout doesn’t have to trip you up. The simplest way to make sure it doesn’t is to remember that you don’t even have to change it to get the plural form.

Or just remember that it follows the traditional rules of pluralization in the English language, which means you’d just add an ‘s.’ It might seem confusing, but it’s similar to words like ‘sheep’ and ‘swine’ in that they don’t necessarily change in their plural forms.

If you ever need clarification or you’re learning English for the first time, you can always visit our library of confusing words for tips.