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A singular misstep: correcting "a fungi"

Reviewed and edited by Anwar Kareem 21/10/2024, 14:25
English.me team member

What kind of error is it?

A fungi or a fungus. What's correct?

Grammatical error: incorrect use of singular vs. plural form.

Why do people make this mistake?

People often confuse the plural term "fungi" with the singular because many Latin-derived biological terms end in "i", leading to the assumption that they are singular.

What is correct?

The correct singular form is "fungus", while "fungi" is the plural form.

Examples of correct usage

  • A fungus is growing on the log.
  • The forest is full of various fungi.
  • This particular fungus is bioluminescent.
  • Scientists study many different fungi in the lab.

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