‘Tooths’ or ‘Teeth’: What’s the Difference?

If you are wondering about the difference between 'tooths' or 'teeth,' you must read this guide.

Before we get started, here is a brief overview in case you are in a hurry today:

• 'Tooths' is an inaccurate spelling and grammatical error you should avoid. 
• 'Teeth' is the correct plural form of tooth.

To learn more about why 'teeth' is correct, keep reading this post which explains with definitions, pronunciations, writing tips, and sample sentences.

What is the Difference Between 'Tooths' or 'Teeth?'

Regarding the difference between 'tooths' or 'teeth,' only one of the terms is correct. The first spelling is incorrect.

The second spelling is the correct plural form of the noun tooth. 

So, you use the term 'teeth' when referring to two or more, and 'tooth' for one 'tooth.'

However, that is not the case with many English words, like:

• Knee - Knee(s)
• Dog - Dogs(s)
• House - Houses(s)
• Leg - Legs(s)
• Cup - Cup(s)

In other cases, you swap a letter or set of letters to create a new spelling of the original or singular form of a term, for example:

• Leaf - leaves
• Elf - Elves
• Loaf - Loaves
• Knife - Knives
• Wolf - Wolves

In the examples above, you change the spelling of the term ending in f by removing the f or fe and adding ves to create the plural form.

Other times, you use a completely different spelling for the plural form, for example:

• Child -Children
• Foot - Feet
• Ox - Oxen
• Goose - Geese

Remembering both forms of these words can be challenging.

Definition of 'Teeth': What Does 'Teeth' Mean?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines 'teeth' as the plural form of 'tooth,' and it defines 'tooth' as a noun that means:

• A hard, bony appendage attached to the jaw that humans and animals use to chew food before swallowing
• Any of a variety of bony structures in the mouth of invertebrates
• Something that resembles or functions like an animal's teeth
• Regular protrusions on the exterior edge of a wheel which indicate where the wheel stops
• A marginal sharp process or lobe on a plant
• An effective source of enforcement
• Something that crushes, injures, devours, or destroys something
• A roughness on a surface produced by artificial or mechanical means
• Liking or tasting

Synonyms of Teeth

• Molar
• Incisor
• Fang
• Canine
• Premolars
• Taste
• Devour
• Use
• Thirst
• Craving
• Longing
• Desire
• Relish
• Palate
• Use
• Liking
• Hankering
• Partiality

Pronunciation: How to Pronounce 'Teeth'

When learning about words like 'tooth' or 'teeth,' learning their correct pronunciation is critical. It helps you remember each form's spelling and how to correctly use them.

So, here is a quick pronunciation guide you can follow.

• Use this phonetic spelling to pronounce 'tooth':

tüth

• Use this phonetic spelling to pronounce 'teeth':

tēth

Writing Tips: When and How to Use 'Teeth' vs. 'Tooth'

Here are a few tips to help you determine when and how to use 'tooth' or 'teeth.'

• Use 'teeth' when discussing the posts bordering a wheel that indicates where it stops.

For example, you could say:

What feedback did your creative writing editor give you on your short story about magic teeth? 

• Use 'tooth' to say that someone is chewing on something.

So, you can say something like:

I started to get hungry while I watched her tooth her food eagerly. 

• Use 'teeth' for the appendages found in human and mammal mouths.

As an example, I might say:

Your teeth are beautiful! 

• Use 'tooth' to refer to one of the bony appendages protruding from the gums in the south of a mammal.

For example, you can say:

My two-year-old was cranky and challenging when his first tooth started coming in. 

Sample Sentences Using 'Teeth'

Now, look at these sample sentences using the plural form of 'tooth.' They will help you remember the correct spelling and learn additional ways to use it.

Teeth

1. Did you see the size of the megalodon teeth we found?
2. Snails have more teeth than any other living creature except for a few varieties of sharks.
3. If you market your writing services to dental offices, you must know about teeth and how to care for them.
4. Do you know how many teeth you have in your mouth?
5. The teeth on her comb are too close together. She can't even get it through her thick hair.
6. How will we ever cut this tree down with a saw with bent teeth?
7. The writer tested the tooth whitener so she could write an informative product review for her client's new natural toothpaste.
8. Have you seen the large teeth in that machine?
9. If your teeth hurt, you must go to the dentist before they worsen.
10. I do not want to hear about your teeth hurting because you do not take care of them.

Tooth

• When did your daughter start cutting her first tooth?
• Will you save your child's teeth, or will you throw them away after the tooth fairy comes?
• This week, your creative writing prompt is, 'I was shocked when I saw what the Tooth Fairy does with the teeth she collects during her night journies.'
• I hate to complain, but my tooth hurts.

Wrapping Up: The Difference Between 'Tooths' or 'Teeth'

Thanks for sticking around and reading this entire post. Before you go, take a look at this quick recap of what you learned in this lesson about the difference between 'tooths' or 'teeth':

• 'Tooths' is a spelling or grammatical error you should never use. 
• 'Teeth' is the correct plural form of 'tooth.'

Hopefully, you will remember that 'tooths' is an error and 'teeth' is the correct spelling for more than one tooth.

If you wonder which of these forms to use in the future, you can always return to this page to review this lesson quickly.

You can also confirm the meaning, spelling, pronunciation, and grammatical usage of dozens of other English words and phrases, and you can learn ways to market yourself as a freelance writer here.

So, bookmark this page and return soon to check out the latest content.

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