What’s the plural of “ox”?
The correct plural of ox is oxen. The plural of ox is commonly mistaken as ox, or oxes. This is an understandable mistake, but if you remember that ox is an irregular noun, then you can avoid this common error.
Of course, ox is not the only irregular noun in English, but how it switches from singular to plural is what makes this word unique … in English at least.
Are oxen the same as bison or buffalo?
The scientific definition of an ox is,
An even-toed ungulates (hoofed mammals), domesticated, ruminants, and have two horns on their heads.
Females are generally called cows, uncastrated males are bulls.
Did you know that cows, bulls, steer, ox, and oxen are all members of the cattle species, which is a subfamily “of the Bovinae and Bovidae.” Oxen, specifically, are castrated male adults that are domesticated for work and labour purposes.
Regular and irregular plurals
Oxen is an irregular plural noun since it adds -en instead of -s/-es. See the following chart that includes other irregular plural nouns:
Ox and oxen, used in sentences
“They say he’s strong as an ox, leaps tall buildings in a single bound. We don’t have that kind of warped reality on our side.”
— Old and Quite Weird Democracts...
The ox has helped do everything from cultivating crop land to moving buildings.
— Ross Farms
In a newly published large study from Greenland musk oxen have been followed for 25 years to see how their feeding habits affect their reproductive success.—Science Daily
Marco was roaring now, even slashing out at his oxen with a whip.—The Boy Who Met a Whale, Farook Nizrana
Terms for male and female ox
A female ox, similar to a female moose, are cows; (or cow moose, for moose.) Adult male oxen that are uncastrated are bulls. Castrated cattle are steer; (castrated, male cattle that are kept for purposes of work or labour are oxen).
What do you call a group of oxen?
Groups of oxen, or cattle, are either A yoke of oxen, or “a team of oxes” (two).
Origin of the word ox
Ox derives from the Middle English oxe:
“The domestic Bos taurus” (commonly meaning the castrated males, used to pull loads or for food).
In review: the plural of “ox”
1. The singular of oxen is ox.
2. The plural form of ox is oxen.
3. Oxen are adult male cattle that are castrated and kept for work/labour purposes.
Practice: Ox or oxen
The farmer harnessed two ______ to pull the heavy wagon.
An adult male ______ is often used for farm work after being castrated.
During select-cut logging, ______ may be used to skid logs in the forest.
The singular form is "ox" and the plural form is ______.
A yoke of ______ was seen pulling a cart in the village square.
FAQs
What is the correct plural for ox?
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Why is the plural of ox irregular?
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What are common errors with ox plural?
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How is the plural “oxen” used?
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Can you give a sentence with “oxen”?
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Sources
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The Elk House Wikipedia on oxen. New World Encyclopedia: oxen.
Yash, D. "How to Use Ox Plural (Explained, Examples & Worksheet)." Grammarflex, Aug 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/ox-plural/.
