The correct plural spelling is turkeys, not turkies. If you are talking about two or more birds, write turkeys. The word turkey ends in a consonant followed by y, so its plural normally keeps the y and adds s.
Turkies or Turkeys is a common spelling confusion, especially when writing the plural of turkey. If you are unsure which form is correct, you are not alone. The correct plural spelling is turkeys, while turkies is incorrect in standard English. This confusion often happens because many English words ending in y change to ies when made plural. However, turkey follows a different rule because the y comes after a vowel.
In this guide, we will explain why turkeys is correct, what turkey means, and why turkies is commonly misspelled. You will also see clear examples, common mistakes, and an easy memory trick to remember the correct spelling.
For example, you can write, “The farmer raises several turkeys.” The spelling turkies may look natural because many English words ending in consonant + y change y to ies, such as puppy to puppies. However, turkey is an exception to that pattern. Major dictionaries give turkeys as the standard plural form.
Quick Answer
Turkeys is correct when referring to more than one turkey.
Example:
The farm has twenty turkeys.
Turkies is not the standard plural spelling of turkey.
Meaning of Turkey
A turkey is a large bird that is commonly raised for meat. The word can also refer to the meat of the bird. Oxford lists turkey as a countable noun for the bird and an uncountable noun for its meat.
Examples:
The turkey walked across the field.
We cooked turkey for dinner.
The plural form is turkeys when you mean several birds.
Turkies vs Turkeys
| Spelling | Correct? | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Turkeys | Yes | Standard plural of turkey |
| Turkies | No | Nonstandard spelling |
The important difference is the final letter. Turkeys keeps the original y and adds s.
Correct
The wildlife center rescued three turkeys.
Several turkeys were walking near the barn.
Incorrect
The wildlife center rescued three turkies.
Several turkies were walking near the barn.
Why Is Turkeys Correct?
English plural rules can make this spelling confusing.
Many nouns ending in a consonant followed by y change the y to ies.
For example:
baby → babies
city → cities
puppy → puppies
However, turkey follows a different pattern. The plural is formed by simply adding s:
turkey → turkeys
The same pattern appears in other nouns ending in ey.
key → keys
monkey → monkeys
donkey → donkeys
valley → valleys
This is why turkeys is the standard spelling.
When to Use Turkeys
Use turkeys when you mean more than one turkey bird.
Examples:
The farmer keeps several turkeys.
Wild turkeys live in the forest.
We saw two turkeys near the road.
The children watched the turkeys in the enclosure.
The farm sells young turkeys to local customers.
Why People Write Turkies
The spelling turkies usually comes from applying a familiar plural rule incorrectly.
Writers often remember that some words ending in y change to ies in the plural. They may therefore write turkies instead of turkeys.
The mistake becomes easier to understand when you compare these words:
cherry → cherries
family → families
country → countries
But:
turkey → turkeys
monkey → monkeys
key → keys
The letter before y helps determine the plural pattern.
Common Mistakes
Writing Turkies for Multiple Birds
Incorrect: The farmer owns five turkies.
Correct: The farmer owns five turkeys.
Changing Every Y to IES
Not every noun ending in y changes to ies. Words such as turkey, monkey, and key keep the y before the plural s.
Confusing Turkey With the Country
The lowercase noun turkey can refer to the bird. Turkey with a capital T is the country name.
For example:
We saw three turkeys on the farm.
She traveled to Turkey last year.
The plural of the country name is not turkeys.
Using Turkies in Formal Writing
Because turkies is not the standard plural form, use turkeys in schoolwork, business writing, articles, and other formal contexts.
Pronunciation
The singular turkey is pronounced approximately like TUR-kee.
The plural turkeys is pronounced approximately like TUR-keez.
Adding s creates the plural without changing the basic pronunciation of the word.
Dictionary Recommendation
Major English dictionaries support turkeys as the standard plural.
Cambridge’s dictionary gives turkeys as the plural of the countable noun turkey.
Oxford also defines turkey as a countable noun for the bird.
These dictionary references make turkeys the appropriate spelling for standard English.
Turkeys in Everyday English
You may see turkeys in many ordinary contexts.
Farming
The farmer raises turkeys for meat.
Wildlife
Wild turkeys can be found in suitable woodland habitats.
Food
The restaurant serves roasted turkey.
When referring to the birds themselves, use turkeys.
Thanksgiving
Many American families eat turkey during Thanksgiving.
Here, turkey can be uncountable because it refers to the meat rather than individual birds.
General Conversation
We saw several turkeys near the farmhouse.
Turkey, Turkeys, and Turkey Meat
The word can have different grammatical uses.
Turkey can mean one bird.
Example:
A turkey crossed the road.
Turkeys means more than one bird.
Example:
Three turkeys crossed the road.
Turkey can also refer to the meat as an uncountable noun.
Example:
We had turkey for dinner.
Oxford lists both the countable bird meaning and the uncountable meat meaning.
Memory Trick
Remember this simple pattern:
Turkey + S = Turkeys
Do not change the y.
Think of:
monkey → monkeys
donkey → donkeys
turkey → turkeys
This makes the correct spelling easier to remember.
FAQs:
Is Turkies a correct word?
No. Turkies is not the standard plural spelling of turkey. The correct plural is turkeys.
Is turkeys the plural of turkey?
Yes. Turkeys is the standard plural form when referring to more than one turkey bird.
Why does turkey become turkeys instead of turkies?
Because turkey follows the plural pattern in which the final y is retained and s is added. Similar examples include monkey → monkeys and key → keys.
What is the singular of turkeys?
The singular form is turkey.
Example:
One turkey is standing in the yard.
How do you spell the plural of turkey?
Spell it turkeys.
Turkey → Turkeys
Conclusion
Use turkey for one bird and turkeys for multiple birds. Do not change the final y to ies. The spelling turkies is a common pluralization mistake, not the standard dictionary form.
Turkies or Turkeys can be confusing when you are writing the plural form of turkey. The correct plural spelling is turkeys. The word turkies is not the standard plural form in English.
Use turkey for one bird and turkeys for more than one. Remember that words ending in y do not always change to ies. When the letter before y is a vowel, simply add s. This makes turkeys the correct choice for everyday, academic, and professional writing.
Olivia Bennett is a grammar expert and language content writer at GrammarWize.com. She specializes in English grammar, word usage, spelling differences, and writing improvement. Through clear explanations and practical examples, Olivia helps students, professionals, and language learners communicate more effectively. Her goal is to make English grammar simple, accessible, and easy to apply in everyday writing.
