Fish or Fishes: What is the Correct Usage in English Language

One Fish, Two Fish — See the Pattern

Look at these words. Can you see what happens?

• one fish → two fish
• one deer → two deer
• one sheep → two sheep
• one shrimp → two shrimp

Did you see the pattern? Some English words stay exactly the same for one or for many. Fish is one of these words. You do not add -s to say more than one.

But here is the twist: fishes IS a real English word. You use it when you talk about different types of fish. Do not worry — we will explain this step by step.

When to Say Fish and When to Say Fishes

Use “fish” for one or many of the same kind:

• I caught five fish today. (all the same kind)
• There are many fish in this river. (a general group)
• She eats fish every Friday. (fish as food)

Use “fishes” for different types or species:

• The scientist studies three different fishes of the Atlantic. (three species)
• The book lists all the fishes of the Mediterranean Sea. (many species)

Easy way to remember: If you can replace the word with “types of fish” or “species of fish,” then you can say “fishes.” If not, just say “fish.”

How to Use Fish and Fishes in Everyday English

• We saw many fish swimming near the rocks. (a group — same kind)
• My brother caught a big fish at the lake yesterday. (one fish)
• I like to eat fish with rice for dinner. (fish as food)
• The aquarium has fishes from all over the world. (different species on display)
• There are more fish in the ocean than we can count. (fish in general)

You are doing great. Now let’s look at the mistakes many learners make with this word.

Two Mistakes to Avoid With Fish and Fishes

Even advanced English learners get confused by fish and fishes — so if you mix them up, you are not alone. The good news is the rule is simple once you see it.

How to remember: Think of it this way — “fishes” is for scientists. Everyone else just says “fish.” If you always say “fish,” you will be right 99% of the time.

Other words like this: deer → deer, sheep → sheep, shrimp → shrimp, salmon → salmon.

Test Yourself: Fish or Fishes?

Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.

Keep Going — You Are Building Something

You just learned the difference between fish and fishes. That is one more English word you will never get wrong again.

But here is something to think about. The word sheep works the same way — one sheep, two sheep. But what happens when you want to show that something belongs to a sheep? Do you write “sheep’s” or “sheeps'”? And what if there are many sheep — how do you make it possessive then?

Next lesson: Plural of Sheep — Is It Sheep or Sheeps?