What’s the plural of “erratum”?
Erratum are a “list of mistakes in a published work”. The plural of erratum is errata. Erratas, which developed as the English plural noun form, is rarely used and considered incorrect according to some sources.
The errata for the textbook are listed on page 300.
Several errata were found in the first edition.
The book contained a single erratum, but there were many errors.
The erratums need to be corrected immediately.
What does the word erratum mean?
The word erratum is defined in the dictionary as, “a list of errors or corrections to be made (in a book)”.
Erratum derives from Latin, and uses the standard Latin suffixes of um as a singular noun and a as a plural. Like the other nouns from Latin in the chart below (e.g., memorandum/memoranda, addendum/addenda) erratum/errata shares the same pattern from singular to plural.
Latin nouns in English
| singular | plural |
|---|---|
| erratum | errata or erratums |
| referendum | referenda or referendums |
| memorandum | memoranda or memorandums |
| curriculum | curricula or curriculums |
| addendum | addenda or addendums |
| symposium | symposia or symposiums |
Erratum (singular) ends in -um, and errata (plural) ends in -a, a common Latin pattern.
Examples of erratum used in context
1. If there is an error or omission in a report, an erratum is issued.
2. Genuine errors will usually be acknowledged in a subsequent erratum.
3. A small erratum slip in the book itself explains that it was a mistake.
4. As a consequence, later versions of the book came out with an erratum slip longer than the entire introduction.
5. He was not able to produce an erratum or oversee a corrected edition.
Examples of errata used in context
1. While they were at it, all the errata and questions were evaluated, and many sections of the rules were re-written in an effort to make the game clearer.
2. Pain, which he recognized as one of the great errata of his life.
3. The list of errata inserted at the beginning which contains only two corrections is far from adequate.
4. The last errata came just in time to be inserted.
5. Some have the Errata notice but have no printing on the inside front cover.
Synonyms of erratum
- error
- typo
- mistake
- blemish
Origin of the word erratum
From etymonline on erratum:
An error in writing or printing,” 1580s, from Latin erratum (plural errata), neuter past participle of errare “to wander; to err’.
What’s the difference between they’re, their, and there?
Work Sheet
According to the post, what is the standard correct plural form of “erratum”?
The word “erratum” originates from Latin and follows a common pattern for singular and plural nouns. What is this pattern?
Based on the post, which of the following words is NOT listed as a synonym for “erratum”?
Which of these sentences correctly uses the plural form mentioned in the post?
The post states that the English plural form “erratas” is considered by some sources to be:
If there is only one mistake to note in a published work, an ______ is typically issued.
The list of ______ at the beginning of the book was surprisingly long.
Several significant ______ were noted by readers in the first edition.
A small ______ slip was inserted into the book to explain the single error.
The editor compiled all the ______ for the next printing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the plural of erratum?
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Yash, D. "What’s the Plural of Erratum?." Grammarflex, Jun 9, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-plural-of-erratum/.
