Make Your Editor Cry: Doe (Awkward Plural)
BLUF: (Bottom Line Up Front)
The plural of doe is does.
doe: the adult female of various mammals (such as a deer, rabbit, or kangaroo)
The singular of doe is doe. The plural of doe is does.
The spelling of the plural noun does sure does look like the verb does, doesn’t it? They are homonyms. However, they are not homophones because they do not sound the same when pronounced aloud. Specifically, they are homographs, meaning they do not sound alike but they are spelled the same although each word has an entirely different meaning. You would not believe the convoluted sentences I have seen to avoid this particular perfectly fine plural.
The noun doe conforms to the standard rules for forming the plurals of nouns in English. Add an -s.
Does are considerably smaller than deer.
Does are capable of breeding at seven months old.
Gregg Bridgeman is the Editor-in-Chief at Olivia Kimbrell Press. He is husband to best-selling Christian author Hallee Bridgeman and parent to three. He continues to proudly serve in the US Armed Forces and has done so in either an active or reserve capacity for more than twenty years as an airborne and air assault qualified paratrooper, earning a Bronze Star for his service. Most importantly, he was ordained in October of 2001 after surrendering his life to Christ decades earlier.