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What’s the Plural of Axis?

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Is “axis” singular or plural?

Examples of "axes" used as a plural noun in sentences.
Axes used as a plural noun in sentences.
👍🏼Usage Note

I have known her for five years. (present perfect)
She knew the answer immediately. (simple past)
I have knew her for five years. (incorrect past participle)
She has know the answer. (incorrect verb form)

Axis is a singular noun. Axes (pronounced axeeeze) is the only correct plural of axis. Not to be confused with the common wood chopping bushcraft tool, the axe, the plural here is axes (sounds like axis). These are different words entirely, with completely unrelated meanings; they’re also pronounced differently. Learn the difference and a whole lot more, all in this post!

What the definition of the word axis/axes?

The Merriam-Webster defines the word axis as, “an imaginary line about which a body rotates.” According to Cambridge Dictionary, axes are

A real or imaginary straight line going through the centre of a object that is spinning, or a line that divides a symmetrical shape into two equal halves: The earth revolves around the axis that joins the North and South Poles.

What’s the plural of axis?

The plural of axis (axes), is irregular. Though it ends in –es as a plural, it does so by replacing its ending in the singular case. Usually, nouns add on the -es/-s to show a plural: books, phones, dogs and cats. This makes things easy: to form a plural noun, just add the s, et vóila, you have a plural noun. Not so fast; with words like axis, analysis, diagnosis, crisis, oasis, thesis, synopsis (the list is long) pluralization isn’t as straightforward.

For each of the just mentioned (originally Greek) words/nouns, to denote a plural, the -ses replacessis in the singular. The operative word here is ‘replaces‘. For each of these irregular plurals (i.e., hypnosis, thesis, synopsis, crisis, oasis) to modify as a plural, the –ses suffix take the place of the singular case, –sis. See the chart.

💡Study Tip

Practice using the verb in different tenses with example sentences to memorize the correct forms.

Nouns that end in -sis/-ses

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singular plural
parenthesis parentheses
crisis crises
diagnosis diagnoses
oasis oases
synopsis synopses
thesis theses
Greek nouns in English. Chart by Grammarflex.

Examples of “axis” in context

1. Of all the planets, Mars has an axis line that is the closest to the rotating point of our.

2. The horizontal line and the vertical line on a coordinate plane are known as the X-axis and the Y-axis respectively.

3. The wheel is revolving about its axis.

4. Tilting on its axis, the Earth is constantly rotating.

5. Rotate it along its axis and its silhouette remains the same.

Examples of “axes” in context

1. The ratio of the axes of the ellipse is sec a, the longer axis being in the plane of 0.

2. The vertical axes shows the rate of growth in inflation-adjusted GDP.

3. That, when both pieces rotate, their axes, and all their points of contact, lie in the same plane.

4. We can label the axes – time is on the horizontal axis, and the amount (or value) of money is shown on the vertical axis.

5. The axes will not be parallel, nor will they intersect each other.

Synonyms of axis

  • pole
  • pivot
  • hinge

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are literary devices?
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Techniques writers use to enhance their writing and convey messages effectively.

How do literary devices differ from rhetorical devices?
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Literary devices are specific to creative writing, while rhetorical devices are broader.

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They help you understand and appreciate literature more deeply.

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Yes, they can make your writing more engaging and effective.

What’s the best way to remember different devices?
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Practice identifying them in texts you read regularly.

Sources

  1. Axis/axes sentence examples.
  2. Synonyms for axis.
  3. Axes vs axes: homophones.

Grammar Expert. "Plural Of Axis." GrammarFlex, May 30, 2025, http://www.grammarflex.com/plural-of-axis/.

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