What is the Plural of Octopus?

The plural of octopus is octopuses.

Definitely.

Or octopi…

Or octopodes…

Actually, it all depends upon who you ask. And some folks get downright snippy about it!

Seriously?

Seriously! Believe it or not, there have been arguments about the correct way to refer to more than one octopus for centuries.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary does a nice job summing up the controversy. Octopi would be the plural IF the word octopus had a Latin origin, which it does to some extent (having existed for a while in New Latin before entering English). But, others trace the origin further back to Greek, which would result in the plural being octopodes. And, to make matters more confusing, the English version uses the standard "es" to make octopus plural with octopuses. All three of the plurals, octopi, octopuses, are octopodes, have been present in publications dating back to at least the 1800s.

So, if you ever find yourself in a circle of etymologists at a party, you can bring up the topic for some spirited discussion. Especially since each plural has been criticized (sometimes pretty harshly) at one point in time or another.

One Octopus

Two Octopuses? Two Octopi? Two Octopodes?

Here are some frequently asked questions and our best advice on the subject:

What's the plural of octopus (or which should I use)?

The plural forms “octopuses” and “octopi” are the most commonly used today–and they're certainly easier to say than octopodes!

How is octopodes pronounced?

Octopodes is pronounced: ock-TOP-uh-deez (you have to stress the "top" part of the word and forget the whole "octo" thing we're used to).

Octopodes vs Octopuses or Octopodes vs Octopi

Octopodes is a very rare pronunciation, so you might sound smart to your friends, but they might not understand what you mean. It's probably better to skip this one in general conversation.

Octopuses vs Octopi

Both the octopus plurals “octopuses” and “octopi” are in common use. You'll find both of them listed as the correct plural of octopus in multiple dictionaries, so you shouldn't have any trouble defending yourself if challenged on your choice! So, go forth and bravely call out more than one octopus at a time!

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https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-many-plurals-of-octopus-octopi-octopuses-octopodes

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/octopus

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/octopus