What Is the Plural of Octopus?

Watery Octopus Tentacles
Octopus Tentacles. doodlemachine / Getty Images
by Grace Fleming
Grace Fleming, M.Ed., is a senior academic advisor at Georgia Southern University, where she helps students improve their academic performance and develop good study skills.
Updated May 06, 2019

Question: What Is the Plural of Octopus?

Answer: You really can't go wrong if you try to come up with a plural for octopus on your own. Like many nouns, it has a few acceptable plural forms. The correct forms are octopuses, octopodes, or octopi.

Advice: stick with octopuses in the U.S. It is the most commonly-accepted plural form of octopus.