Plural of Bison The Answer You Didn’t See Coming

One Bison, Two Bison — The Word Never Changes

Look at these words. Can you see what happens?

• one bison → two bison
• one sheep → two sheep
• one deer → two deer
• one salmon → two salmon

Did you see the pattern? Some English words stay exactly the same for one or for many. Bison is one of these words. You do not add -s or anything else.

How to Tell if Bison Means One or Many

If the word never changes, how do you know if someone means one bison or many? You look at the words around it. These small words tell you everything.

Words that show ONE bison:

• a bison → A bison is standing near the river.
• one bison → Only one bison was left behind.
• this bison → This bison has thick fur.

Words that show MANY bison:

• many bison → Many bison are crossing the road.
• these bison → These bison were born in spring.
• a hundred bison → The park has a hundred bison.

Easy way to remember: Look at the verb. If it is is or was, it is one. If it is are or were, it is many.

How to Use Bison in Everyday English

• We saw a bison at the zoo last weekend. (one bison)
• There are hundreds of bison in Yellowstone National Park. (many bison)
• The bison walked slowly across the road. (one bison)
• A group of bison is called a herd. (many bison)
• The bison’s fur keeps it warm in winter. (one bison — the fur belongs to it)

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

The Most Common Mistake With Bison

Even advanced learners add an -s to bison sometimes — so if you make this mistake, you are not alone. Your brain wants to add -s because that is the normal rule. But bison is a special word.

How to remember: Think of bison like sheep. You would never say “two sheeps.” In the same way, you never say “two bisons.” The word stays the same.

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

Test Yourself: Bison or Bisons?

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

Keep Going — You Are Building Something

You just learned that bison never changes — one bison, many bison, always the same. That is one more word you will never get wrong again.

But here is something interesting. The word buffalo looks like it should follow the same rule — it is a big animal, just like bison. But does it? Can you say “two buffalo” or do you need to say “two buffaloes“? The answer might surprise you.

Next lesson: Plural of Buffalo: 5 Surprising Facts You Didn’t Know

Sources

1. Wikipedia: bison.
2. Origin of bison
3. Bison facts
4. Smithsonian zoo on bison
5. Wikipedia contributors. “Bovinae.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.