Today, we’re tackling the age-old Mangos or Mangoes debate. The English language can be complicated, and the plural of mango certainly falls into that, “how do I spell that again?” category. The long and short answer to the Mangos vs. Mangoes dilemma is that you can use either spelling, and you’ll still be correct. I know, kind of boring. But if you’re interested in a quick grammar lesson, then stick with me!
Typically, nouns that end in an “o” follow the rule that if the “o” is preceded by a vowel, it will end with just an “s,” such as kangaroos and radios. If it is preceded by a consonant, it will end with an “es,” like potatoes or banjoes. If that’s the case, then it should be, “mangoes,” right?
Well, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Some nouns don’t follow these rules, such as armadillos and photos. And some nouns can be spelled either way and still be correct – like avocadoes/avocados and mangoes/mangos!
For example, “Mangos are my favorite fruit!” or “Let’s go to the grocery store and buy a bunch of mangos.”
The Merriam-Webster dictionary does provide its preferred spellings, but ultimately lists either as correct. Here at the National Mango Board, we like to keep it easy, and we’ve decided to go with “mangos.”
