What’s the Plural of Erratum: Understanding Publication Corrections
Quick Answer
The plural of erratum is errata. One erratum means one mistake in a printed text. Two or more mistakes are called errata.
Erratum and Errata — See the Pattern
Look at these sentences:
- There is one erratum on page 5.
- There are three errata in the report.
- The publisher added an erratum notice to fix the date.
- All the errata were corrected in the second printing.
Did you see the pattern? When there is one mistake, we say erratum. When there are two or more, we say errata.
| How Many? | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One | erratum | The book has one erratum. |
| Two or more | errata | The book has several errata. |
Why Errata — Not Erratums
The word erratum comes from Latin. It means “a mistake” — usually a mistake in something that was printed or written down.
In Latin, words that end in -um change to -a to become plural. English keeps this old rule for some words:
- erratum → errata (mistakes in printed work)
- datum → data (pieces of information)
- addendum → addenda (extra things added to a document)
- medium → media (types of communication)
Easy way to remember: Words ending in -um from Latin usually change to -a for the plural. Think: erratum → errata.
The Rule in One Line: One erratum, two or more errata — drop the -um, add -a.
How to Use Erratum and Errata in Everyday English
- The newspaper printed an erratum to fix a wrong name. (one mistake was corrected)
- I found an erratum on the last page of the report. (one mistake found)
- The errata list shows five spelling mistakes. (a list of several mistakes)
- The professor sent errata for the textbook to all students. (more than one correction)
- The book has an errata page at the back. (a page that lists all the corrections)
You are doing great. Now let us look at the mistakes many learners make.
Two Mistakes to Avoid With Erratum
Even native English speakers sometimes get confused by Latin plurals — so if you mix these up, you are not alone.
✗ The book has many erratums.
✓ The book has many errata.
✗ She found an errata in the title.
✓ She found an erratum in the title.
How to remember: Never add -s to erratum. The plural is always errata, not “erratums.” And when you talk about just one mistake, it is always erratum, not “errata.”
Other words that follow this same pattern: datum → data, addendum → addenda, memorandum → memoranda, curriculum → curricula.
Test Yourself: Erratum or Errata?
Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.
1. The publisher found one _______ on page 12.
2. The _______ were listed at the back of the book.
3. She noticed an _______ in the date.
4. There are five _______ in this report.
5. An _______ was printed to correct the spelling.
Keep Going — You Are Building Something
You just learned that erratum becomes errata. That is one more Latin plural you will never get wrong again.
But here is something interesting — did you know that addendum follows the exact same pattern? One addendum, two addenda. But what exactly is an addendum, and when would you use it?
Next lesson: What’s the Plural of Addendum?
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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.
