Whats the Plural of Hero: Heros or Heroes? Understanding Correct Usage
Quick Answer
The plural of hero is heroes. You add -es to the end. “Heros” is not correct. For example: “The firefighters are heroes.”
Hero, Heroes — See the Pattern
Look at these sentences. Can you see how hero changes?
- One hero saved the child from the fire.
- Three heroes received medals for their bravery.
- My dad is my hero.
- Nurses and doctors are everyday heroes.
Did you see the pattern? When there is one person, we say hero. When there are two or more, we say heroes.
| Singular (one) | Plural (more than one) |
|---|---|
| hero | heroes |
Why Do We Add -ES and Not Just -S?
Most English words just add -s to make the plural. But hero ends in a consonant + o (the letter r is a consonant, then o). When this happens, we usually add -es instead of just -s.
Here are other words that follow the same rule:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| hero | heroes |
| tomato | tomatoes |
| potato | potatoes |
| volcano | volcanoes |
| echo | echoes |
Easy way to remember: If the word ends in a consonant + o, add -es. Think: “Heroes eat tomatoes and potatoes.”
The Rule in One Line: Hero ends in consonant + O, so the plural is heroes — add -ES, not just -S.
How to Use Heroes in Everyday English
- The heroes of the story fought to protect their village. (more than one brave person)
- She read a book about real-life heroes from history. (many people who did brave things)
- Firefighters are heroes — they save lives every day. (a group of brave people)
- Who are your heroes? (the people you look up to)
- The hero’s name was on the front page of the newspaper. (one hero — something belongs to them)
You are doing great. Now let us look at the mistakes many learners make.
The Most Common Mistake With Hero
Even advanced learners write “heros” instead of “heroes” — so if you have made this mistake, you are not alone. It is one of the most common spelling errors in English.
✗ The heros saved the day.
✓ The heroes saved the day.
✗ There are many heros in this film.
✓ There are many heroes in this film.
How to remember: Think of heroes and tomatoes together. They both end the same way. If you can spell tomatoes, you can spell heroes.
Other words that follow this pattern: potato → potatoes, volcano → volcanoes, echo → echoes, torpedo → torpedoes.
Test Yourself: Hero or Heroes?
Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.
1. The firefighters are the real _______ of this city.
2. She wants to be a _______ when she grows up.
3. Many _______ in history were not famous in their own time.
4. Every story needs a _______.
5. The _______ of the film all worked together to save the world.
Keep Going — You Are Building Something
You just learned the plural of hero. That is one more tricky plural you will never get wrong again.
Hero follows a pattern — consonant + O means add -ES. But did you know that some words ending in -O break this rule? For example, what about the word potato? Does it follow the same pattern, or is it different?
Next lesson: Plural of Potato: Is It Potatoes or Potatos?
Source
Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of hero.” Online Etymology 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.
