We all need a hero sometimes. But what if the tasks calls for more that one hero? Should we simply add an “s” at the end to end up with “heros?” No, that would indeed be incorrect. So what is the plural of “hero?”
In short, the correct plural form of “hero” is “heroes.” Likewise, you shouldn’t use “heros.”
A Few Examples
Let’s take a look at a few correct and incorrect examples:
- INCORRECT – Watching cartoons as a child, it seemed that the world was crawling with superheros!
- CORRECT – Watching cartoons as a child, it seemed that the world was crawling with superheroes!
- INCORRECT – The people looked at the crime-infested city and thought: “Where are all the heros?”
- CORRECT – The people looked at the crime-infested city and thought: “Where are all the heroes?”
You get the point?
How Did “Hero” Originate?
If you are curious, “hero” is a word that originated around the 14th century. It was inspired by the Greek word “heros,” which meant “warrior/demi-god.” As you can probably see, some Americans took the original Greek form as the plural form, which would be incorrect!
Some people also note how other languages have similar words. For example, the German word “heroisch” (heroic) has similar origins!
For more about English words that originate from Greek and Latin roots, check out this article here.
Examples
Now let’s see a few examples from prominent media sources:
The message was that Hungary was once more embroiled in a fight for its freedom and that Orbán was the heir to the heroes of Hungary’s history. – The Guardian
Vernon Smith, one of my intellectual heroes, and a laissez-faire kind of guy, has shown in his trailblazing experimental work that bubbles arise again and again without special assistance. – The Economist
Nobody likes to hear about great heroes passing on. – BBC
Summary
In the end, even if it may look better to our English-speaking minds, you shouldn’t use “heros” in your writing. Instead, when using the plural of “hero,” you should say “heroes.”
Related: Here are a few more plural-related articles: Crisis, Dice, Moose. And if you want to know about words with NO plural form, give this article a read!
