One thing that can often be rather confusing, and we would say understandably so, is what the plural of ‘yes’ is. This is because it isn’t something that you would really need to write down all that much. Luckily, on this page, we are going to tell you the answer.
Yes’s or Yeses or Yesses – What Is the Plural of ‘Yes’?
The plural of ‘yes’ is either ‘yeses’ or ‘yesses’. While there are some dictionaries that suggest that the word ‘yes’s’ could also be used as the plural of ‘yes’, this is generally considered not to be best practice, and thus you are better sticking with one of the other two.
The reason why we add the ‘es’ to the end of the word is that in English grammar you add the ‘es’ to the end of any ‘es’ word to pluralize it. So, in this case, the plural of ‘yes’ would be ‘yeses’.
The word ‘yesses’ is a bit different. It is unknown why that extra s gets added into the middle of the word. Thankfully, while this spelling is correct, it is not used anywhere near as much as ‘yeses’ is, and thus you can ignore it. However, if you do see ‘yesses’ written down in some older text, then we can assure you that this is simply a plural of yes.
Yes’s
While there are some dictionaries that do make the rather bold claim that ‘yes’s’ is a plural of ‘yes’, it isn’t. In English grammar, adding the ‘s on the end indicates a possessive. So, if you said ‘yes’s’, it indicates that the yes possesses anything that follows, which isn’t possible.
It is likely that the use of ‘yes’s’ as a plural stem from something known as the grocer’s apostrophe, which is essentially placing an apostrophe in the wrong place.
Although some people do argue that the apostrophe, in this case, is acting as a replacement for the ‘ in the word ‘yeses’, we recommend that you ignore using the word ‘yes’s’ altogether.
These are both incorrect:
- When asked if they wanted to go to lunch, the number of yes’s in the room was higher than the number of nos.
- When British Parliament asks people to vote on laws, they look for the number of yes’s and the number of nos.
Yeses
‘Yeses’ is the most common plural form of ‘yes’. While there is one other agreed plural form (yesses), it is this word that gets the most use. So, if you have received multiple ‘yes’ answers, then you can say ‘I have received multiple yeses’.
The reason why ‘yeses’ is the preferred term is that ‘yes’ ends in an ‘es’. The English language dictates that when you are making any word that ends in an ‘es’ into a plural, you add a further ‘es’. It just looks slightly odder with ‘yes’ because it is such a short word to begin with.
So, now you know, next time somebody asks you ‘is yeses a word?’, you can tell them that it is!
Here are examples of how to use ‘yeses’ in a sentence:
- The class gave almost universal yeses when they were asked if they want to skip the test.
- When the parent asked their children if they wanted to go to Disney World, they received only yeses.
- They were in agreement. Everybody at the meeting gave their yeses, and the profit & loss chart was approved.
- If you are asked multiple questions, you can answer with multiple yeses.
- The judge asked the lawyers if they wanted to take a break in court, and he received multiple yeses.
Yesses
‘Yesses’ is one of the plural forms for the word ‘yes’. While it is something that does still receive a small amount of use, it is no longer regarded as being best practice, and thus you should probably avoid it in favor of the word ‘yeses’ instead.
You are able to use the word ‘yesses’ in any situation where you would use the word ‘yeses’.
Here are some examples on how to use ‘yesses’ in a sentence:
- I had to read the terms and conditions for the software, it required multiple yeses for me to proceed.
- The software algorithm requires multiple yesses before the array is triggered.
- For a vote to succeed, there needs to be more yesses than nos.
- It isn’t uncommon for the yesses to be louder than the nos during a vote.
- He received multiple yesses, but he still didn’t trust them.
Yes’
The word ‘yes” should never be used, especially if you are planning on using it as a plural. If you see the word ‘yes” written down in a sentence, then you know that it is grammatically incorrect. If you want to make yes plural, then you should use ‘yeses’.
These are both incorrect sentences. This way, you will be able to see how the word ‘yes” doesn’t fit in at all:
- They received hundreds of yes’ when they asked the union to vote on a strike.
- I need you and your staff to give me multiple yes’ when answering the survey.
Is ‘Yeses’ or ‘Yesses’ Used The Most?
According to Google Ngram Viewer, the word ‘yeses’ receives considerably more use than ‘yesses’ in written text. Although, it is worth pointing out that the word ‘yesses’ is not a dead word. It still receives a small amount of use, but nowhere near as much as the word ‘yeses’ gets.
Interestingly, the word ‘yeses’ is used fractionally more in UK English than it is in US English. However, we cannot stress enough how small the difference is. This is more a rounding error than anything else.
Also according to Google Ngram Viewer, you will find that the word ‘yesses’ receives more use in fiction than it would in non-fiction, which we suppose goes to show that this spelling could be seen as slightly more informal, or at least doesn’t follow editorial guidelines for non-fiction work.
Final Thoughts
Both ‘yeses’ and ‘yesses’ are the plural version of ‘yes’. It doesn’t really matter which one you use, as they are completely interchangeable. However, it is the word ‘yeses’ that seems to be the most common plural word, so stick with that wherever possible.