Plural Form of Wish: Complete Guide with Rules, Examples & Usage

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The word wish is a familiar and versatile noun in English, capturing the idea of a hope, desire, or expression of goodwill. Whether you’re blowing out birthday candles, writing a holiday card, or expressing your dreams, wish appears in countless contexts. Understanding how to use both the singular and plural forms of this word is essential for clear, grammatically correct communication.

Mastering plural forms is a fundamental skill in English grammar. It ensures your writing and speech accurately reflect number—whether you’re talking about one wish or many wishes. The plural form of wish frequently arises in greetings (best wishes), written notes, formal and informal speech, and literature. However, many learners confuse the singular and plural forms, leading to common mistakes such as best wish instead of best wishes.

This guide is designed for English learners, ESL/EFL students, teachers, writers, and anyone seeking to polish their grammatical accuracy. You’ll find comprehensive explanations, rules, examples, tables, practice exercises, and even advanced nuances. By the end, you’ll understand not only how to form and use the plural of wish, but also when and why it’s used. Let’s begin your journey to mastering this essential aspect of English!

Table of Contents

3. Definition Section

A. What Is a ‘Wish’?

Wish as a noun refers to a hope or desire for something that is not easily attainable or is currently not true. For example, “Her wish is to travel the world.” The word originates from Old English wyscan, connected to the Proto-Germanic root wunskjan (to wish, hope).

Note: Wish is also a verb (I wish you success). This article focuses on its use as a noun.

B. Plural Form in English Grammar

Pluralization in English involves changing a noun to indicate more than one. Most nouns simply add -s (e.g., cat/cats), but nouns ending in certain sounds, like -sh, add -es (e.g., wish/wishes). Regular and irregular plural forms are important for correct grammar.

C. ‘Wish’ as a Countable Noun

Wish is a countable noun. You can have one wish, two wishes, or many wishes. It’s used in both singular and plural forms depending on the context.

Singular Plural Example Sentence
wish wishes I have one wish.
She made three wishes.
dish dishes This dish is delicious.
We washed the dishes.
bush bushes A bush grows here.
The bushes are green.
kiss kisses She gave him a kiss.
They exchanged kisses.

D. Grammatical Classification

Wish is a common noun. It can function as the subject (“A wish can come true”), object (“He granted my wishes”), or complement (“Her greatest wish is peace”) in a sentence.

E. Function and Usage Contexts

“Wishes” is used in social interactions (greetings, farewells, well-wishes), formal or literary writing, and as an expression of desire or hope.

Function Example Sentence
Greeting Best wishes for your new job!
Farewell Warm wishes as you move to a new city.
Desire Her wish is to become a doctor.
Literary He whispered his wishes to the night sky.

4. Structural Breakdown

A. Basic Rule for Pluralizing ‘Wish’

The basic rule for nouns ending in -sh is to add -es to form the plural.

  1. Identify the ending: Does the noun end with -sh? (Yes: wish ends with -sh.)
  2. Add -es: Attach -es to the base word. (wish + es = wishes)
Singular Plural Rule Applied
wish wishes Add -es after -sh
dish dishes Add -es after -sh
bush bushes Add -es after -sh
lash lashes Add -es after -sh

B. Phonological Considerations

The plural wishes is pronounced /ˈwɪʃ.ɪz/ (WISH-iz). The stress falls on the first syllable. In digital resources, you may find audio examples for pronunciation.

  • Singular: wish /wɪʃ/ (1 syllable)
  • Plural: wishes /ˈwɪʃ.ɪz/ (2 syllables)

C. Spelling Patterns

For all nouns ending in -sh, the correct spelling for the plural is to add -es. Never write “wishs”. Common spelling errors include forgetting the e.

D. Morphological Structure

The word wishes is formed by adding the plural suffix -es to the base word wish.

Root/Base Suffix Plural Form
wish -es wishes

E. Pluralization in Context

Use wishes when referring to more than one wish, in set phrases, or when a plural meaning is required.

Context Example Sentence
Multiple desires She made three birthday wishes.
Greeting Best wishes for your future!
Set phrase Season’s wishes to you and your family.

5. Types or Categories

A. Literal Wishes vs. Figurative Wishes

  • Literal wishes: Express genuine hopes or desires.
    Example: She whispered her wishes into the well.
  • Figurative wishes: Used in greetings, idioms, or set phrases.
    Example: Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

B. Types of “Wishes” in Usage

  • Social/Polite Wishes: Best wishes, warm wishes, kind wishes
  • Formal vs. Informal Wishes: “Season’s wishes” (formal), “Happy wishes!” (informal)
  • Wishes in Fixed Expressions: “Good wishes”, “Birthday wishes”, “Wedding wishes”
  • Wishes in Literature and Poetry: Artistic or metaphorical uses
Category Example Sentence
Social/Polite Warm wishes on your graduation day!
Formal Season’s wishes to all our valued clients.
Fixed Expression We send our best wishes.
Literature Her wishes soared like doves at dawn.

C. Usage in Different Registers

  • Spoken English: Used in greetings, casual conversation (“Best wishes!”)
  • Written English: Common in letters, emails, cards, and formal documents
  • Formal Contexts: Business emails, ceremonial speeches
  • Informal Contexts: Birthday cards, friendly notes
  • Regional Variations: No major differences, but “season’s wishes” is more common in British English

6. Examples Section

A. Basic Examples

Singular “wish”:

  1. I have only one wish today.
  2. Her wish is to see her family again.
  3. The genie granted me one wish.
  4. It was his deepest wish to travel.
  5. This is my birthday wish.
  6. Your wish is my command.
  7. His wish came true at last.
  8. My only wish is for peace.
  9. He made a wish on a shooting star.
  10. What is your greatest wish?

Plural “wishes”:

  1. She made three wishes at the well.
  2. Best wishes for your exam!
  3. My wishes have finally come true.
  4. They exchanged warm wishes at the party.
  5. He sent her holiday wishes by email.
  6. All his wishes were fulfilled.
  7. Birthday wishes poured in from friends.
  8. Their wishes reflected hope and kindness.
  9. Many wishes remain unspoken.
  10. We received your good wishes.

B. Examples by Complexity

Simple Sentences:

Singular Plural
I made a wish. I made three wishes.
Her wish is secret. Her wishes are secret.
This wish is special. These wishes are special.

Compound/Complex Sentences:

Singular Plural
After he made his wish, he felt hopeful. After they made their wishes, they felt hopeful.
Although my wish was simple, it meant a lot to me. Although my wishes were simple, they meant a lot to me.
If her wish comes true, she will be happy. If her wishes come true, she will be happy.

C. Examples by Usage Pattern

Role Example
Subject Wishes often inspire action.
Object He granted my wishes.
Greetings/Closings Best wishes, Anna

D. Examples with Adjectives and Quantifiers

  • Many wishes remain unfulfilled.
  • Few wishes are easy to achieve.
  • Some wishes are simple, others are complex.
  • All wishes deserve respect.
Quantifier/Adjective Example
many Many wishes were written on the card.
few Few wishes are ever granted.
some Some wishes come true unexpectedly.
all All wishes were carefully considered.

E. Examples in Idiomatic Expressions

  • Best wishes for your wedding day.
  • Warm wishes from the whole team.
  • Season’s wishes to you and yours.
  • Birthday wishes from your friends.
  • Sending good wishes your way!
Phrase Example Sentence
best wishes Best wishes for your new adventure!
warm wishes Warm wishes for a speedy recovery.
season’s wishes Season’s wishes to all our friends.
birthday wishes Birthday wishes filled her inbox.
good wishes He sent good wishes from afar.

F. Error Examples for Learning

  • Incorrect: Best wish for your future.
    Correct: Best wishes for your future.
  • Incorrect: She has three wish.
    Correct: She has three wishes.
  • Incorrect: Many wish were granted.
    Correct: Many wishes were granted.
  • Incorrect: All her wish came true.
    Correct: All her wishes came true.
  • Incorrect: I received several birthday wish.
    Correct: I received several birthday wishes.

G. Contextual Examples

Dialogue Sample:

  • A: What did you wish for on your birthday?
  • B: I had three wishes, but I can’t tell you or they won’t come true!

Literature/News Excerpt:

  • “The children’s wishes soared on the wind, carried by hope.”
  • “Holiday wishes from world leaders poured in after the announcement.”

7. Usage Rules

A. Rules for Pluralizing “Wish”

  • Add -es to nouns ending in -sh (wish → wishes).
  • Pronunciation: /ˈwɪʃ.ɪz/

B. When to Use Plural vs. Singular

  • Use wish for one hope/desire.
  • Use wishes for more than one, or in set expressions.
Determiner/Quantifier Singular Plural
a / one a wish, one wish —
many / some / all / few / several — many wishes, some wishes, all wishes, few wishes, several wishes

C. Subject-Verb Agreement

  • Use plural verbs with wishes (Wishes are…)
  • Use singular verbs with wish (Wish is…)
Subject Verb Example
wish is/comes My wish is simple.
wishes are/come Her wishes are complicated.

D. Use in Set Phrases and Greetings

  • Always use plural in greetings: Best wishes, Warm wishes
  • Never use Best wish in a closing

E. Exceptions and Special Cases

  • “Wish” is rarely, if ever, used as a mass noun.
  • No non-count usage is standard in modern English.

F. Regional or Register-Specific Usage

  • Usage is consistent in American and British English.
  • Some set phrases like “season’s wishes” are more common in British English.

G. Summary Table:

Rule/Usage Singular Plural
Form wish wishes
Usage one desire, hope multiple desires, set phrases, greetings
Determiners a, one, each many, all, some, several, few
Verb Agreement is/was are/were
Fixed Expressions — best wishes, warm wishes, good wishes

8. Common Mistakes

A. Singular/Plural Confusion

  • Incorrect: She has many wish.
  • Correct: She has many wishes.
Incorrect Correct
All her wish came true. All her wishes came true.
Best wish for your future. Best wishes for your future.
Several birthday wish were sent. Several birthday wishes were sent.

B. Spelling Errors

  • Incorrect: wishs
  • Correct: wishes

C. Misuse in Greetings

  • Incorrect: Best wish
  • Correct: Best wishes

D. Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

  • Incorrect: Wishes is important.
  • Correct: Wishes are important.

E. Overgeneralization to Other Nouns

  • Incorrect: She has two kisss.
  • Correct: She has two kisses.

F. Error Correction Table:

Error Correction
Wishs Wishes
Many wish Many wishes
Best wish Best wishes
Wishes is Wishes are

G. Practice Correction Sentences:

  1. She received several good wish on her birthday.
  2. All the wish were written on the wall.
  3. Many best wish for your new job!
  4. His wishs were simple.
  5. Wishes is sometimes hard to fulfill.

Try to correct each sentence before checking the answers in the Answer Key section!

9. Practice Exercises

A. Fill-in-the-Blank Exercises

  1. I had three _______ for my birthday. (wish/wishes)
  2. My only _______ is for peace. (wish/wishes)
  3. Best _______ for your recovery! (wish/wishes)
  4. All her _______ came true. (wish/wishes)
  5. He made a _______ at the fountain. (wish/wishes)
  6. Many _______ go unspoken. (wish/wishes)
  7. Each _______ was written on a piece of paper. (wish/wishes)
  8. They sent their _______ from abroad. (wish/wishes)
  9. What is your greatest _______? (wish/wishes)
  10. Birthday _______ arrived from friends. (wish/wishes)

B. Error Correction Exercises

  1. She gave me two wish for my journey.
  2. Wishes is important in life.
  3. All the best wish!
  4. He wrote many good wish.
  5. My wishs are secret.
  6. Few wish are granted.
  7. Season’s wish to you!
  8. Her wishes is to travel the world.
  9. Some wish never come true.
  10. Warm wish for your birthday.

C. Identification Exercises

Underline or highlight the correct plural form in each sentence:

  1. Many wish/wishes were expressed at the meeting.
  2. He made a wish/wishes before leaving.
  3. We received lots of wish/wishes by email.
  4. Her only wish/wishes is to succeed.
  5. Best wish/wishes for the holidays!

D. Sentence Construction

Write your own sentences using “wishes” with these prompts:

  • Many wishes…
  • Birthday wishes…
  • All wishes…
  • Warm wishes…
  • Few wishes…

E. Matching Exercises

Phrase Options
many ______ a) wish b) wishes
best ______ a) wish b) wishes
a ______ a) wish b) wishes
few ______ a) wish b) wishes
some ______ a) wish b) wishes

F. Table Exercise:

Sentence Choose: wish/wishes
He made three ______.
Her only ______ is for peace.
Birthday ______ brightened her day.
Each ______ was special.
Best ______ for your journey.

G. Advanced Application

Rewrite the following paragraph, changing from singular to plural where appropriate:

“Her wish was simple. She made a wish every night.

The wish was always the same.”

H. Answer Key:

Fill-in-the-Blank:

  1. wishes
  2. wish
  3. wishes
  4. wishes
  5. wish
  6. wishes
  7. wish
  8. wishes
  9. wish
  10. wishes

Error Correction:

  1. She gave me two wishes for my journey.
  2. Wishes are important in life.
  3. All the best wishes!
  4. He wrote many good wishes.
  5. My wishes are secret.
  6. Few wishes are granted.
  7. Season’s wishes to you!
  8. Her wishes are to travel the world.
  9. Some wishes never come true.
  10. Warm wishes for your birthday.

Identification:

  1. wishes
  2. wish
  3. wishes
  4. wish
  5. wishes

Matching:

  1. wishes
  2. wishes
  3. wish
  4. wishes
  5. wishes

Table Exercise:

  1. wishes
  2. wish
  3. wishes
  4. wish
  5. wishes

Advanced Application:

“Her wishes were simple. She made wishes every night. The wishes were always the same.”

10. Advanced Topics

A. Pluralization in Compound and Derived Forms

  • Compound nouns: birthday wishes, wedding wishes, holiday wishes
  • Derived forms: wisher/wishers, wishing(s)
Compound Noun Singular Plural Example Sentence
birthday wish birthday wish birthday wishes He made many birthday wishes.
wedding wish wedding wish wedding wishes Wedding wishes were sent to the couple.
holiday wish holiday wish holiday wishes Holiday wishes filled the cards.

B. Differences in Register and Tone

  • My wish (individual, personal)
  • My wishes (multiple hopes, often polite or formal)
  • Best wishes (standard polite closing)

C. Pluralization in Poetry and Literature

  • Non-standard or artistic forms for effect: “Wishes fluttered like butterflies.”
  • Famous example: “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”

D. Cross-Linguistic Considerations

  • In many languages, the word for “wish” also has a plural, but the form and usage vary (e.g., Spanish: deseo/deseos; French: souhait/souhaits).

E. Corpus Study

Form Frequency per Million Words (COCA)
wish ~20
wishes ~34
best wishes ~12

F. Etymological Notes

  • Wish derives from Old English wyscan. The plural wishes has always been regular with -es ending since Middle English.

G. Pluralization in Related Words

  • wisher/wishers: The person(s) making wishes.
  • wishing(s): Rare as a noun, more common as a participle or gerund.
Word Singular Plural Example
wisher wisher wishers The wishers gathered at the fountain.

H. Rare or Archaic Usages

  • No obsolete plural forms for “wish”.
  • Older texts may use “wishes” with poetic or archaic sense, but the form remains “-es”.

11. FAQ Section

  1. What is the plural form of “wish”?
    The plural form of “wish” is wishes.
  2. Why do we add -es and not just -s to “wish”?
    Nouns ending in -sh take -es to form the plural for ease of pronunciation (wish → wishes).
  3. Can “wish” ever be used as an uncountable noun?
    No, “wish” is a countable noun. You can count wishes (one wish, two wishes).
  4. When should I use “wish” vs. “wishes” in a sentence?
    Use “wish” for one desire or hope. Use “wishes” for two or more, or in set expressions (e.g., best wishes).
  5. What are some common expressions that use “wishes”?
    “Best wishes,” “warm wishes,” “birthday wishes,” “season’s wishes,” “good wishes.”
  6. Is there any difference between “good wishes” and “best wishes”?
    “Best wishes” is more formal and common in closings, while “good wishes” is less formal.
  7. How do you use “wishes” with quantifiers like “many” or “few”?
    Use the plural: “many wishes,” “few wishes.” Never “many wish.”
  8. Are there any irregular plural forms for “wish”?
    No, “wish” pluralizes regularly as “wishes.”
  9. Is “wishs” ever correct?
    No, the correct plural is “wishes.”
  10. How do you pronounce “wishes”?
    “Wishes” is pronounced /ˈwɪʃ.ɪz/ (WISH-iz).
  11. Can “wishes” be used as a verb?
    No, “wishes” as a noun means desires or hopes. As a verb, “wishes” is the third-person singular of “wish” (e.g., “He wishes for peace”).
  12. Are there differences in British and American English usage of “wishes”?
    No major differences, though some set phrases may vary slightly in frequency.

12. Conclusion

Understanding the plural form of wish is essential for accurate, effective English communication. The rules are straightforward: add -es to form wishes, use it for more than one desire or in set expressions, and always check for subject-verb agreement.

Remember common usages like best wishes and avoid frequent errors such as wishs or using “wish” instead of “wishes” after plural quantifiers. Use the tables, examples, and exercises in this guide to reinforce your mastery.

Correct pluralization is a vital skill in both writing and speech. For further improvement, continue practicing with authentic texts and create your own example sentences using “wishes.” Check out additional grammar resources to deepen your understanding and confidence.

Wishing you success on your English learning journey—best wishes!

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