Plural of Tomato: Simple Rules, Quick Answers

Ever wondered if you should write tomatoes or tomatoes? The short answer is tomatoes. It sounds a bit tricky because the word ends in "o," but English has a clear rule for this case.

Why tomatoes Is the Right Choice

When a noun ends in a consonant plus "o," the most common way to make it plural is to add -es. Think of hero → heroes, potato → potatoes, and echo → echoes. Tomato follows the same pattern because the "o" follows the consonant "t".

If you ever see tomatoes on a flyer or a casual blog, it’s probably just a typo or a non‑standard spelling. Most reputable dictionaries list tomatoes as the only correct plural.

When Do You Just Add -s?

English does have exceptions. Words that end in a vowel + "o" usually just take an -s. For example, radio → radios or studio → studios. The key is the letter before the "o" – if it’s a vowel, you normally add -s; if it’s a consonant, you add -es.

Some nouns are irregular and don’t follow any rule at all, like mouse → mice. But tomato isn’t one of those – stick with tomatoes every time.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet you can keep handy:

• Consonant + o → add -es (tomato → tomatoes)
• Vowel + o → add -s (radio → radios)
• Irregular nouns → memorize (mouse → mice)

That’s all you need to remember the plural of tomato. Use it in emails, recipes, or grocery lists and you’ll never look back.

Want to double‑check other tricky plurals? Just search for the word + "plural" and you’ll get the same straightforward rule‑breakdown. Happy cooking and happy writing!