Is It “Psalm” or “Psalms”? (Correct Spelling)

We can hear someone say “today we’re reading Psalms, 23”. But does this means that we’ll read the 23^rd “psalm” from the Book of Psalms, or is it that “psalms” can only be used in the plural form? Well, if you’ve encountered this doubt in the past, worry not; answers are just a few paragraphs away.

Is It “Psalm” or “Psalms”?

Saying the word “psalm” and the word “psalms” is correct. The first is its singular form and the second is its plural form. So, for example, when you say “psalms, 23” you’re referring to the 23^rd psalm of the Book of Psalms. This is the same as saying “psalm 23”.

“Psalm” is the singular version of the word “psalms”. Therefore, they can’t be used as synonyms and are not interchangeable terms. One is used to refer to a single psalm while the other is used to speak of a compendium of them.

Finally, a “psalm” is a religious song or poem typically in the Jewish and Christian traditions. There are 150 of them in the Bible.

Psalm

The word “psalm” refers to a poem or song, typically of worship, found in the Jewish and Christian tradition. Also, “psalm” is a verb used for the action of extolling in psalms, singing, and “psalming” prayers. Psalm is a perfectly correct word in the English language.

When checking the vast database of the prestigious Cambridge Dictionary, we found out that a psalm is a holy poem or song. Furthermore, it is a word that is specially used to talk about the 150 found in the Holy Bible.

Let’s see some examples of how to use “psalm” in a sentence:

1. I usually go to a secluded place to say my psalm of the day; I feel more connected that way.
2. Every psalm is teaching you a lesson; just pay a little more attention and you’ll see.
3. Singing my favorite psalm on top of my lungs is a liberating experience.
4. I was psalming in pure passion when the storm came along; it was a magical moment!
5. I remember my mom said I should understand religion, one psalm at a time.
6. Every psalm I have ever encountered has left me a lesson to hold on to.
7. Psalm 23 is the most important one; you should remember it by now!

Psalms

The word “psalms” is used to refer to a compendium or series of religious poems or songs. These are especially popular in Catholicism and Judaism since the Holy Bible presents 150 of them. Furthermore, it is common to abbreviate “Book of Psalms” by saying, for example, “psalms, 23”.

The almighty Cambridge Dictionary replicates the definition given above. Moreover, the Cambridge Dictionary states that “psalms” is the same in UK English as it is in US English.

Let’s take a look at how to use “psalms” in a sentence through these examples:

1. I know all the psalms for Sunday mess by heart, I’m so anxious to perform them live!
2. Psalms, 23 is a great way to get started in this religion, you know?
3. Making sure I had a Book of Psalms by my bed was my mother’s way to introduce me to God.
4. I remember getting together with my cousins to sing psalms and eat chocolate.
5. Psalms are a great way to show admiration and worship.
6. Every one of the 150 psalms found in the Holy Bible has a lesson; never forget about it.
7. The psalms are what got me into the church, to begin with; they’re such a lot of fun!

Which Is Used the Most?

We checked the popularity of “psalm” and “psalms” utilizing the Google Ngram Viewer.

The graphic created by the tool shows that the two words were used almost identically until, around 2010, “psalms” went into a steep positive trend that lasts to these days. Because of that sudden surge of popularity, we can say that “psalms” is used more often than “psalm”.

Final Thoughts

A “psalm” is a poem or song used for worship or adoration. “Psalms” is the plural form of the same word. For example, you can say “psalms, 23” to talk about the 23^rd psalm in the Book of Psalms and say “psalm 23” to talk about the same psalm.