What’s the plural of “loaf”?
I bought a single loaf of whole wheat bread.
The bakery had many different kinds of loaves for sale.
Please pick up two loafs of sourdough on your way home.
They sliced the loaf into three pieces.
For today’s lesson on irregular plurals, we’re taking on the loaf. The simple, sweet answer (much like the subject matter itself) is that the plural of loaf is loaves.
For the linguistically curious and attentive folk, it’s clear right off the bat how inconsistent loaves is with the other English plural nouns (even within its ostensibly irregular category.) So, without further delay—the loaf—in all its baked-goodness and delicious glory.
What’s the singular of loaf?
Loaf is the singular noun form. The only plural of loaf is loaves.
What’s a loaf? Are loaves the same as bread?
The dictionary defines a loaf as “bread that is shaped and baked in a single piece and can be sliced for eating: Get a loaf of white bread from the corner store.” Loaves (plural n.) refer to the shape and entire mass of the bread, pre-slicing.
Other irregular plural nouns (f-/-fe suffixes)
Loaf is irregular, (any plural noun in English that doesn’t end in -s or -es is considered irregular,) it belongs to a category of nouns that are similarly irregular. See the following chart of irregular plural nouns ending in -f/-fe, and convert to -ves as a plural:
| singular | plural |
| loaf | loaves |
| life | lives |
| wife | wives |
| shelf | shelves |
| self | selves |
| half | halves |
| wolf | wolves |
Aside from being irregular plural noun forms, these words all share a common history, and have PIE (Proto-Indo-European) origin. In other words, these words have Germanic roots and origins, they derive from a region where there were (and are) more than one possible ending given to plurals to indicate that they are, in fact, a plural.
The I-mutation is a case in point of another German plural form, which involves the fronting of a root vowel in anticipation of a ‘y’ or ‘I’ sound. See the following irregular plural noun forms which showcase the effects of the I-mutation (of Germanic tradition and origin).
“loaves” as the plural of “loaf,” visualize a bakery display filled with many loaves of bread, not “loafs.”.
Loaf (singular ) in sentences
The sentences show the correct use of the singular noun, loaf:
2. Time was when you could buy a loaf of bread for sixpence.
5. I bake a loaf of bread each day.
Loaves (plural) in sentences
The following sentences show the correct use of the plural noun, loaves:
1. The boys went through two whole loaves of bread.
2. Loaves of bread were rising along one counter beneath thin cloths.
5. I bake two or three loaves of bread every week.
Synonyms for loaf
- roll
- bun
- dough
- bread
Origin of the word loaf
From etymology online on loaf (n.):
From Proto-Germanic khlaibuz, the common Germanic word for “bread” (source also of Old Norse hleifr, Swedish lev, Old Frisian hlef, Old High German hleib, German Laib, Gothic hlaifs “bread, loaf”).
What’s the difference between they’re, their, and there?
Work Sheet
What is the correct plural form of the noun “loaf”?
According to the blog post, which of the following is the incorrect plural form of “loaf”?
What is the singular form of the noun “loaves”?
The blog post categorizes the plural form “loaves” as what type of plural noun?
Nouns like “loaf” that end in -f or -fe often change to what ending in their irregular plural form, as shown in the post’s chart?
I baked a single of brown bread this morning.
The bakery was selling many different kinds of .
Please pick up two of sourdough on your way home.
They shared a and some cheese for lunch.
To refer to multiple items of bread baked in a single piece, you should use the word .
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the plural of loaf?
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Why is ‘loaves’ an irregular plural?
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Is ‘loafs’ the correct plural?
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How do you use loaf in a sentence?
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How do you use loaves in a sentence?
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Yash, D. "What’s the Plural of Loaf? (Loafs or Loaves?)." Grammarflex, Jun 20, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-plural-of-loaf/.
Sources
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Definition of loaf
