What’s the Plural of Curriculum? Understanding Educational Terminology

Curriculum, Curricula, Curriculums — See the Pattern

The word curriculum comes from Latin. That is why it has two plural forms — the Latin one and the English one. Look at these examples:

• The school is changing its curriculum this year. (one)
• The university offers five different curricula. (more than one — Latin plural)
• All the curriculums in the country were updated. (more than one — English plural)

Did you see the pattern? Here is the full picture:

When to Use Curricula and When to Use Curriculums

Both forms are correct. You will never be wrong for choosing either one. But there is a small difference in how people use them:

• Curricula — This is the original Latin plural. You will see it more often in formal writing, academic papers, and official education documents.
• Curriculums — This follows the normal English rule of adding -s. It sounds more natural in everyday speech and informal writing.

Easy way to remember: Writing an essay or report? Use curricula. Talking to a friend? Use curriculums. Either way, you are right.

Real-Life Examples With Curricula and Curriculums

• “The government compared curricula from ten different countries.” (plural — many plans of study)
• “Our department is reviewing the curriculums for all three courses.” (plural — more than one plan)
• “The new curriculum starts in September.” (singular — one plan)
• “Both curricula include a section on history.” (plural — two plans)
• “Different curriculums work better for different students.” (plural — many plans)

You are doing great. Now let us look at the mistakes many learners make.

Common Mistakes With the Plural of Curriculum

Even advanced learners get confused with Latin plurals — so if you mix these up, you are not alone. Here are the most common mistakes:

How to remember:

• Curriculum’s with an apostrophe means “belonging to one curriculum” — it is possessive, not plural.
• Curriculi does not exist. The Latin plural ends in -a, not -i.
• Each and every always go with the singular: “each curriculum,” never “each curricula.”

Other words that follow the same Latin pattern: datum → data, medium → media, memorandum → memoranda.

Test Yourself: Curriculum, Curricula, or Curriculums?

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 plural of curriculum. That is one more Latin plural you will never get wrong again.

Here is something interesting: the word syllabus also comes from Latin, but its plural is not what you might expect. Is it syllabi, syllabuses, or something else? The answer might surprise you.

Next lesson: What’s the Plural of Syllabus?

Sources

1. Definition of curriculum.
2. Dictionary.com definition of curriculum.
3. Origin of curriculum.
4. Latinate definition.