As a language expert with a deep understanding of English grammar and etymology, I'm here to provide you with a comprehensive explanation about the plural form of the noun "donkey."
The English language has a rich and complex history, and its rules for forming plurals are a testament to this. The plural form of "donkey" is indeed "donkeys," which is formed by simply adding an "s" to the end of the word. This is the standard way to make most nouns plural in English. However, the confusion surrounding the plural of "donkey" arises from a common misconception about nouns that end in the letter "y."

In English, there are two primary patterns for forming plurals from nouns that end in "y":

1. **Nouns ending with a consonant followed by "y"**: In this case, the "y" is typically changed to "ies" to form the plural. For example, "city" becomes "cities," and "lady" becomes "ladies."

2. **Nouns ending with a vowel followed by "y"**: When a noun ends with a vowel sound followed by "y," the plural is formed by just adding an "s." This is the case with "donkey," which ends with the vowel sound "ee." Therefore, the plural is "donkeys."

It's important to note that these rules are not absolute and there are exceptions. The key is to listen to the sound that precedes the "y." If it's a vowel sound, you add an "s" to form the plural. If it's a consonant sound, you change the "y" to "ies."

Let's look at a few more examples to illustrate this:

- Vowel + y: "Play" becomes "plays," "boy" becomes "boys," and "day" becomes "days."
- Consonant + y: "Fly" becomes "flies," "sky" becomes "skies," and "baby" becomes "babies."

The confusion is further compounded by the fact that there are some nouns that end in "y" where the "y" represents a consonant sound, but the plural is still formed by just adding an "s." For example, "crayon" becomes "crayons," not "craies."

In conclusion, the plural form of "donkey" is "donkeys," and understanding the rules for forming plurals in English can help to clarify why this is the case. It's all about the sound that precedes the "y" in the word. When in doubt, it's always a good idea to consult a reliable dictionary or language resource to confirm the correct plural form.

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Donkeys is the only way to make the noun donkey plural. Confusion arises because some people mistakenly believe that all nouns ending in "y" should form a plural ending in "ies". When a noun ends with [vowel] + y, you only need to add an "s" to form the plural.read more >>