What’s the Plural of Nemesis: Understanding English Nouns
Quick Answer
The plural of nemesis is nemeses. You change the -is at the end to -es. For example: “He has one nemesis, but she has three nemeses.”
Nemesis and Nemeses — See the Pattern
Look at these sentences. Can you see how the word changes?
- Batman finally beat his nemesis. (one enemy)
- The hero had to fight all of his nemeses. (more than one)
- She is my biggest nemesis at work. (one person)
- Our team has many nemeses this season. (many teams)
Did you see the pattern? When there is one, you say nemesis. When there are more than one, you say nemeses.
| One (Singular) | More Than One (Plural) |
|---|---|
| nemesis | nemeses |
Why Nemesis Changes to Nemeses
The word nemesis comes from Greek. In English, many Greek words that end in -sis follow a special rule:
Change the -is to -es.
- nemesis → nemeses (the i becomes an e)
- crisis → crises
- thesis → theses
- basis → bases
You do NOT add an -s or -es to the end like normal words. You swap the last two letters.
Easy way to remember: NemeSIS (one) → NemeSES (many). Just change the I to an E.
The Rule in One Line: Nemesis → nemeses. Change the I to an E.
Real-Life Examples With Nemesis and Nemeses
- My brother is my nemesis at chess. (one person who always beats me)
- The school has two big nemeses in football. (two rival teams)
- Maths has always been my nemesis. (one thing that is always hard for me)
- She faced all her nemeses and won. (many enemies)
- Every superhero has a nemesis. (one special enemy)
You are doing great. Now let us look at the mistakes many learners make.
The Most Common Mistake With Nemesis
Even advanced learners get this one wrong sometimes — so if you have been saying “nemesises” or “nemesies,” you are not alone. It is a very common mistake.
✗ He has many nemesises in the game.
✗ She fought against her nemesies.
✓ He has many nemeses in the game.
✓ She fought against her nemeses.
How to remember: Do not add anything to the end of nemesis. Just swap the I for an E. Nemesis becomes nemeses.
Other words that follow the same rule: crisis → crises, thesis → theses, basis → bases, oasis → oases, synopsis → synopses.
Test Yourself: Nemesis or Nemeses?
Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.
1. Batman finally defeated his _______ in the last film.
2. The two football teams are old _______.
3. She has one big _______ at work — her manager.
4. In the story, the hero fights against three _______.
5. Every superhero has a _______.
Keep Going — You Are Building Something
You just learned the plural of nemesis. That is one more tricky plural you will never get wrong again.
Nemesis follows the -sis → -ses pattern. But did you know the word synopsis follows the exact same rule? What do you think the plural of synopsis is — and why do so many people get it wrong?
Next lesson: What Is the Plural of Synopsis?
Source
Example sentences nemesis/nemeses from Collins Dictionary
My name is Khamis Maiouf. I am the creator of the English Teacher Site, dedicated to providing valuable resources and insights for students around the world. With a passion for education and a commitment to helping students enhance their skills, I aim to make English teaching more effective and enjoyable for both educators and students.
