What is The Plural of Buffalo?

In English, the word buffalo has more than one accepted plural form. You can correctly use buffaloes, buffalos, or simply buffalo without changing the word at all.

All three are recognized by major dictionaries and grammar references. This flexibility makes it different from many nouns, and it sometimes confuses learners.

Traditionally, buffaloes has been the preferred choice in formal writing. This is because it follows the common pattern for nouns ending in a consonant plus the letter “o,” where we add “es” to make them plural. Examples include tomato, tomatoes and potato, potatoes.

However, English is full of exceptions, and buffalo is one of them. Many speakers and writers simply add “s” and write buffalos, while others leave the form unchanged, writing buffalo as both singular and plural, much like sheep or deer.

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Why Are There Three Plural Forms of Buffalo?

The reason is partly historical and partly due to how English adopts and adapts words. The word buffalo entered English from Portuguese and Spanish, both of which derived it from the Latin bubalus and bufalus. Over centuries, spelling and pronunciation changed, and so did the rules for making it plural.

When English borrowed the word, it did not fit neatly into one pluralization rule. Some speakers preferred the -es ending, others the -s ending, and some kept it the same for singular and plural. Over time, all three forms became established in different regions and contexts.

Which Form Do Experts Recommend?

Many style guides recommend buffaloes for formal or academic writing. For example, the Guardian Style Guide advises writers to use “buffaloes” instead of “buffalos” or the unchanged “buffalo” to keep things consistent. Academic publications tend to prefer this form as well.

That said, descriptive linguists, who study how language is actually used, recognize all three forms as correct. They point out that the most important thing is consistency.

If you start with buffaloes, continue using it throughout your piece. If you choose buffalo, keep it the same in every sentence to avoid confusing readers.

Can Buffalo Be Plural Without Changing The Word?

Yes, and it is quite common, especially in casual speech. This unmarked plural works the same way as sheep and deer.

In rural and farming communities, people often say things like “We saw twenty buffalo in the field” without adding “s” or “es.” This unchanged plural also appears in playful language examples. One of the most famous is the sentence:

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

Here, the first “Buffalo” is a city name, the second “buffalo” is the animal in plural form, and “buffalo” as a verb means to confuse or intimidate. In this sentence, the unchanged plural form is used throughout.

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How Do You Choose Which Plural Form To Use?

Think about your audience and the tone of your writing. If you are preparing a school essay, a research paper, or a formal report, buffaloes is the safest choice.

If you are writing a travel blog about wildlife or a casual story, buffalos or the unchanged buffalo can work well. Consistency matters more than the specific form. Mixing buffaloes and buffalos in the same piece looks sloppy and may confuse the reader.

Examples Using “Buffaloes”

1. The buffaloes grazed peacefully in the tall grass.

2. Wildlife photographers captured stunning images of the buffaloes crossing the river.

3. Buffaloes are an important symbol in many Native American cultures.

4. Park rangers keep a close watch on the buffaloes during migration season.

Examples Using “Buffalos”

1. The guide pointed out several buffalos resting under a tree.

2. We saw buffalos wandering near the camp at dusk.

3. Farmers in the region keep buffalos for milk and meat.

4. The new conservation area is home to more than fifty buffalos.

Examples using Unchanged “Buffalo”

1. A herd of buffalo moved silently across the plain.

2. Buffalo roam freely in this national park.

3. Early settlers depended on buffalo for food and clothing.

4. During our safari, we spotted buffalo near the waterhole.

What Do Language Studies Say About Buffalo?

University research in linguistics often uses words like buffalo to demonstrate irregular pluralization and variation in English. Studies on morphological patterns show that nouns ending in “o” can behave unpredictably.

For instance, piano becomes pianos, mango can be mangos or mangoes, and buffalo accepts all three forms without breaking any grammatical rule.

These variations highlight how English prioritizes usage over strict rules. In other words, if enough people use a form, it becomes part of the accepted language. That is why buffaloes, buffalos, and buffalo all survive in modern English.

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Frequently asked questions

Q: Which form is most widely used?
In formal writing, buffaloes is the most common. In casual speech, both buffalos and the unchanged buffalo are frequent.

Q: Is “buffalos” wrong?
No. “Buffalos” is recognized by major dictionaries and is used by many English speakers, especially in American English.

Q: Does pronunciation change in the plural?
No. The word sounds the same regardless of whether you write buffalo, buffaloes, or buffalos.

Q: Can I use the unchanged form “buffalo” in academic writing?
You can, but it is less common. Most style guides suggest using “buffaloes” for clarity.

Q: Are there other animals with similar plural flexibility?
Yes. Words like fish, salmon, and deer often keep the same form for both singular and plural.

Q: Why is there no single correct answer?
Because English plural rules are shaped by both tradition and real-life usage, and in this case, all three forms have been accepted for centuries.

Final thoughts

The plural of buffalo can be buffaloes, buffalos, or simply buffalo. All three are correct. Your choice should depend on the context, your audience, and your preference, but you should stick with one form consistently.

If in doubt, buffaloes is the safest option for formal writing, while buffalos or unchanged buffalo can work well in casual settings.