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Tuesday, 20 April 2010

vocab for the week 44

What is the plural of "formula"?




The word has two possible plurals — formulae and formulas. The "ae" in the final syllable of "formulae" is pronounced like the "ee" in "bees", "fees", and "knees". The stress in the case of all three words is on the first syllable. The Latin plural "formulae" is the preferred word in scientific contexts, while "formulas" is used elsewhere. For example, one talks about "mathematical formulae" and "political and diplomatic formulas".

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