Plural of Foot
For the body part and many ordinary countable senses, “foot” forms the irregular plural “feet.” Measurement has additional grammar: Merriam-Webster records “foot” between a number and a following noun (“a 10-foot pole”) and “feet” or “foot” in some number-plus-adjective constructions. Keep body-part number and measurement syntax separate.
The usual plural of body-part “foot” is “feet.” In measurement, English also uses invariant “foot” in specified constructions such as “a 10-foot pole.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| one body part | foot | Singular. |
| more than one body part | feet | Irregular plural. |
| number + noun measurement modifier | 10-foot pole | Invariant attributive form. |
| height statement | six feet tall / recorded foot variant | Measurement construction. |
Quick tests
Plural-choice test
Is “foot” being used as an ordinary countable body part or unit rather than inside a measurement modifier?
If yes: Use “feet” for more than one ordinary countable foot.
If no: If it is a measurement construction, follow the specific measurement syntax.
Caveat: Measurement compounds have their own grammar; they do not change the ordinary body-part plural.
Examples
Both feet were sore after the hike.
Body-part plural is “feet.”
They installed a ten-foot fence.
Attributive measurement keeps singular-form “foot.”
The ceiling is nine feet high.
A height statement commonly uses “feet.”
Further guidance
Core difference
Use “feet” for more than one body part or ordinary countable foot; use invariant “foot” where measurement syntax requires or permits it.
Fast Test
First ask whether “foot” names a body part/countable unit or appears inside a measurement construction.
Usage Boundary
Do not generalize attributive “10-foot” into a claim that the normal plural of the body part is “foot.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- FOOT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Cambridge records feet as the plural for body-part and poetic-foot senses, while the measurement sense allows plural feet or foot in specified constructions.