If you’ve been keeping up with your regularly scheduled grammar–flexing, you’d know by now that if you’re saying sheeps, it’s because you’re using it the third-person present singular (and not as the plural of sheep).
What’s the plural of “sheep”?
The lone sheep wandered away from the flock.
We saw many sheep grazing on the hillside.
The farmer had a hundred sheeps in his pasture.
I watched a young sheeps eating grass near the fence.
- The plural of sheep is sheep.
- Sheeps is incorrect, and a commonly mistaken plural for the sheep.
| Sentence examples with “sheep” | |
| singular | The disobedient sheep would not follow the shepherd. |
| plural | These leaves are toxic to cattle and sheep. |
This makes sheep an irregular noun; regular nouns add “s” or “es” to switch to plural; e.g., cats, tables, dresses.
Singular and plural nouns
Some nouns stay the same in the singular and plural, like sheep, deer, and moose (to name a few).
With these nouns, we can usually infer whether it’s singular or plural from other parts of the sentence. The chart below shows similar irregular nouns that stay the same as both a singular and a plural.
| singular | plural |
| sheep | sheep |
| moose | moose |
| fish | fish (sometimes fishes) |
| elk | elk |
| deer | deer |
| bison | bison (or bisons) |
“Sheep”, used in sentences as a plural
Black sheep are much rarer than white sheep.
A a flock of sheep are in the field behind the house.
Expect to spot sheep, elk, deer, moose, coyote and many winter birds during your ski.
We ate yoghurt made from sheep’s milk.
My father works on a sheep farm.
Other examples of sentences with “sheep”
The majority of the species of Acacia are edible and serve as reserve fodder for sheep and cattle.
The failure of the crops was almost universal and large numbers of sheep and cattle perished for want of food.
It wasn’t necessary to count sheep.
Pigs, sheep and goats are also kept in considerable numbers.
Enormous flocks of sheep are kept in the deserts around Bukhara.
Counting sheep to fall asleep? You always say ‘one sheep, two sheep’, never ‘sheeps’—the word stays the same for singular and plural.
Phrases with “sheep”
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a wolf in sheep’s clothing | if one person takes a dangerous risk, others will follow |
| black sheep of the family | one that’s different from the other family members, or feels like the odd one out |
| to make sheep’s eyes | to give someone a doting look |
| it’s a foolish sheep that makes the wolf his confessor | make sure you trust those you confide in |
| hanged for a sheep as a lamb | meaning the punishment will be the same regardless of the crime |
| if one sheep leaps over the ditch, all the rest will follow | if one person takes a dangerous risk, others will follow |
Names for male, female, and baby sheep
Female sheep and goats are ewes (/juː/), an intact male is a ram, and sometimes a tup. Castrated male sheep are wethers, and young sheep are lambs.
What do you call a group of sheep?
Commonly, a group of sheep is a flock. Less common is a “herd of sheep”. Shepherds (sheep-herders) typically herd the sheep flock back into their pens. This is the difference between a flock of sheep and a herd of sheep (it’s a subtle difference, to be sure).
Read more on plural nouns
- What’s the plural of bison?
- What’s the plural of moose?
- What’s the plural of sheep?
- What’s the plural of ox?
- What’s the plural of cactus?
- What’s the plural of crisis?
- What’s the plural of hypothesis?
Work Sheet
According to the blog post, what is the correct plural form of the noun “sheep”?
The post mentions that “sheeps” can sometimes be correct grammatically. In what specific grammatical context is this mentioned?
What type of noun is “sheep,” according to the post, because it does not add “s” or “es” to form the plural?
For nouns like “sheep” that stay the same in singular and plural, how can you usually determine if it’s singular or plural?
Which of the following sentences uses the word “sheep” correctly as a plural noun, according to the post?
The lone ______ wandered away from the flock.
We saw many ______ grazing on the hillside.
These leaves are toxic to cattle and ______.
When counting to fall asleep, you say ‘one sheep, two ______’.
The disobedient ______ would not follow the shepherd.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the plural of sheep?
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Is sheeps the correct plural of sheep?
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How to know if sheep is singular or plural?
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Why is sheep an irregular noun?
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Are there nouns like sheep that stay the same?
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Yash, D. "Is Sheep Singular or Plural?." Grammarflex, Jun 17, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-plural-of-sheep-sheep-vs-sheeps/.
Sources
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The Elk House The difference between a flock of sheep and a herd of sheep? Plural of animals quiz “It’s a foolish sheep that makes the wolf his confessor.” Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. 2015. Farlex, Inc 18 Dec. 2023
