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Plural of Thesis

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The Plural of Thesis

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Grammarflex

What’s the Plural of Thesis? (Thesises? Theses?)

• November 13, 2022

What’s the plural of “thesis”?

Thesis , (and its plural theses ) is an example of one of the many common English words that has roots elsewhere. In this case, thesis is a word that has roots all the way back to Ancient Greek. Like other similarly structured words: diagnosis , synthesis , analysis , oasis , crisis , nemesis and the like, thesis is by no means the only frequently used Greek word that’s made it to Modern English.

What’s the singular of thesis?

Thesis is a singular noun and refers to one thing (or one thesis ).

What’s a thesis?

Merriam-Webster defines the noun thesis (plural theses ) as follows, “a dissertation embodying results of original research and especially substantiating a specific view especially : one written by a candidate for an academic degree.”

Nouns that end in -sis/ses

Thesis is an irregular plural noun that does not end in the typical -s / -es that regular plural noun forms take. This is so despite that theses plural does in fact end in the conventional -s/-es suffix. Why is it still considered irregular; then, given that it follows the regular plural form? Notice the following regular plural noun forms:

Thesis / theses operates differently. With these Greek words, the -ses does not simply  add onto the end of the singular form of the noun; instead, -ses replaces the singular noun’s suffixes, and effectively changes the entire spelling of the word (and arguably the word itself.)

Examples of “thesis” (singular) in sentences

His master thesis was on modal neural networks.

She wrote her thesis on Renaissance Nativity scenes.

We disagreed with the basic thesis of the report.

I’ve made a first draft of my thesis .

The student’s experiments helped her formulate a thesis to share with her professor and classmates.

Examples of “theses” (plural) in sentences

It must not be assumed that Luther’s ninety-five theses produced any considerable direct results.

The collection of theses are ready for publication.

Twenty years after Savonarola’s death Martin Luther made public his theses against indulgences.

Theses are generally examined by two or more specialists.

Theses is the plural form of the singular noun thesis.

Origin of the word “thesis”

Thesis / theses are of Greek origin.

Read about other irregular nouns

• What’s the plural of bison?
• What’s the plural of moose?
• What’s the plural of sheep?
• What’s the plural of ox?
• What’s the plural of cactus?
• What’s the plural of crisis?
• What’s the plural of hypothesis?

Read about other topics in grammar

• What’re personal pronouns?
• What’s the difference between they’re, their, and there?
• Whose vs who’s?
• Merriam-Webster, thesis/theses.

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Meaning of theses in English

Examples of theses.

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Definition of thesis

Did you know.

In high school, college, or graduate school, students often have to write a thesis on a topic in their major field of study. In many fields, a final thesis is the biggest challenge involved in getting a master's degree, and the same is true for students studying for a Ph.D. (a Ph.D. thesis is often called a dissertation ). But a thesis may also be an idea; so in the course of the paper the student may put forth several theses (notice the plural form) and attempt to prove them.

Examples of thesis in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thesis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

in sense 3, Middle English, lowering of the voice, from Late Latin & Greek; Late Latin, from Greek, downbeat, more important part of a foot, literally, act of laying down; in other senses, Latin, from Greek, literally, act of laying down, from tithenai to put, lay down — more at do

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a(1)

Dictionary Entries Near thesis

the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children

thesis novel

Cite this Entry

“Thesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thesis. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of thesis, more from merriam-webster on thesis.

Nglish: Translation of thesis for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of thesis for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thesis

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Definition of thesis noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• Students must submit a thesis on an agreed subject within four years.
• He presented this thesis for his PhD.
• a thesis for a master's degree
• He's doing a doctoral thesis on the early works of Shostakovich.
• Many departments require their students to do a thesis defense.
• She completed an MSc by thesis.
• her thesis adviser at MIT
• in a/​the thesis
• thesis about

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Find out which words work together and produce more natural-sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

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PhD Theses Grammar – Nouns & Words Both, Either, Neither, Nor & Only

Posted by Rene Tetzner | Oct 30, 2021 | PhD Success | 0 |

5.4.3 Nouns and Agreement

The use of most English nouns is relatively straightforward, but spelling and word choice can sometimes be an issue if English is not your native language. It is usually quite easy to deal with such problems through careful and critical proofreading, especially with the assistance of the spell-checking function of your word-processing program, which in most cases will highlight obvious errors (though it should not be trusted to discover them all). If a word is underlined or otherwise highlighted by the program, check the spelling and correct it if necessary; if spelling is not the problem, it is likely that you have chosen the wrong or an inappropriate word (perhaps you used ‘content’ for ‘context,’ for example, ‘implementation’ for ‘intervention’ and so on), in which case you will need to use a dictionary or perhaps a thesaurus to find the correct or a more appropriate word. Watch for nouns that are too vague to express your exact meaning to all readers: ‘in this context,’ ‘in our area’ and ‘in local universities’ are classic examples of instances in which you and your thesis committee will know what you are talking about, but other readers (especially those from other contexts and areas) cannot unless the context or area you are working in or the location of those universities is specified wherever necessary for absolute clarity (specific language is also best for dates: see Section 6.4.4). Conversely, your language should not be so specific to one country or region that its meaning will not be fully understood by international readers: currency and educational systems are good examples of topics for which you should provide not only specific information relevant to the original locality, but also careful enough explanations of the specifics to make them clear to readers who are not familiar with that locality and its culture.

Agreement should always be maintained between nouns and the verbs used with them, which in most cases is easily established: singular nouns should be used with the singular forms of verbs (‘the doctoral candidate investigates,’ ‘the brush untangles’ and ‘the child plays’) and plural nouns with the plural forms of verbs (‘the doctoral candidates investigate,’ ‘the brushes untangle’ and ‘the children play’). If you want your language to suggest the possibility of both singular and plural situations simultaneously, for most nouns you can enclose the ‘s’ or ‘es’ of the plural form in parentheses – ‘the methodology chapter(s)’ – in which case the verb form should be governed by the singular noun because the plural is technically parenthetical: for example, ‘the methodology chapter(s) describes the research methods used in the thesis.’ Another (and often preferable) solution is to word the text in such a way that the verb works for both the singular and plural forms of the noun: ‘the methodology chapter(s) should describe the research methods used in the thesis.’ With plural nouns formed through the addition of endings other that ‘s’ or ‘es,’ the same strategy can be used – ‘the child(ren) will be going to a party this afternoon’ – but with nouns that change their stems to form the plural (such as ‘man’ that becomes ‘men’ and ‘woman’ that becomes ‘women’), effective constructions can be complicated and confusing for readers, and are generally best avoided.

There are certain nouns in the English language that present special challenges when it comes to agreement. Plural nouns that seem like singular nouns (‘data,’ ‘media,’ ‘criteria’ etc.), for instance, should take a plural verb (‘the criteria required were,’ not ‘the criteria required was’), although ‘data’ can, alternatively, be used as a singular noun (‘the data were’ or ‘the data was’). This is to say that ‘data’ can be treated as a collective or group noun instead of as a normal plural noun, in which case the important point is to ensure that the noun is treated as a singular whenever it is used in a document. With collective nouns in general, it is essential that each noun is consistently treated as either a singular or a plural, ideally throughout a thesis and certainly within a single sentence, but this can be rather tricky because such nouns tend to be used as both singular and plural in casual conversation, so there is a tendency to be inconsistent: for example, in ‘The society was founded in 1995; since then, they have grown rapidly,’ ‘they have’ in the second part of the sentence should actually be ‘it has’ to agree with the singular ‘society’ and its verb ‘was’ in the first part. Also complicated is the fact that the decision to use a singular or plural verb with a collective noun can depend on whether the noun refers to the group as a unit (singular) or to its members as individuals (plural), and also on whether British or American English is used: in American English, when the group is considered as a unit, a singular verb is usually used (our hockey team is playing very poorly this year), but in British English, collective nouns tend to use plural verbs (our hockey team are playing very poorly this year). The collective nouns ‘couple’ and ‘pair’ are usually used as plurals when they refer to people – ‘The couple ride their bicycles to work’ – but collective nouns of quantity such as ‘number,’ ‘percentage’ and ‘proportion’ tend to take a singular verb when a definite article precedes the noun and a plural verb when an indefinite article precedes the noun (‘The proportion of customers with home phones is decreasing,’ but ‘A large proportion of customers are giving up their home phones in favour of mobile phones’).

5.4.4 Both, Either, Neither, Nor and Only

Certain other words, phrases and constructions can cause particular problems when constructing sentences, especially for authors whose native language is not English. ‘Both’ takes a plural verb (e.g., ‘both a pool and a water slide were added to the playground’), whereas ‘either’ and ‘neither’ take a singular verb (either a pool or a water slide is being added to the playground), and so does a ‘neither . . . nor’ construction (neither a pool nor a waterslide was added to the playground). Please note that ‘or’ should not be used instead of ‘nor’ in a ‘neither . . . nor’ construction.’ ‘Neither,’ ‘either’ and ‘both’ should be correctly positioned in a sentence to achieve balance and avoid repetition, so the phrasing should be ‘that affect neither him nor her,’ not ‘that neither affect him nor her,’ and ‘that affect both him and her,’ not ‘that both affect him and her.’ ‘Only’ can be placed where it sounds best in a sentence unless there is a possibility of ambiguity or confusion, in which case it should be carefully positioned to clarify the meaning: for example, ‘vegetable gardens only watered on Sundays’ could mean ‘only vegetable gardens are watered on Sundays’ or ‘vegetable gardens are watered on Sundays only’ or ‘vegetable gardens are watered, but not weeded, on Sundays’ (examples adapted from Butcher et al., 2006, p.164). It is therefore wise to consider all the placement and semantic options as you are writing such sentences and choose the one that most effectively expresses your intentions. ‘Only’ can also be problematic when used not to mean ‘exclusively,’ but to refer to a small number or percentage: ‘just 39%’ or ‘as small as 39%’ is more accurate than and preferable to ‘only 39%.’

5.4.5 Beginning Sentences Correctly and Avoiding Dangling Participles

The wording at the beginning of sentences should be both precise and complete in formal scholarly prose, and certain elements should not be used in that position. Numerals, for instance, should be avoided, so any number at the beginning of a sentence should be written out in words unless writing it out would be cumbersome (e.g., ‘237,482’ would be very unwieldy if written as words), in which case the sentence should be reworded to avoid using the number at its beginning (for information on formatting numbers, see Section 6.4 below). Certain abbreviations should also be avoided at the beginning of sentences, although acronyms and initialisms are usually acceptable (see Section 6.3.8 below). As a general rule, sentences should not begin with conjunctions such as ‘and,’ ‘or,’ ‘but’ and ‘so,’ although the occasional lapse in this regard, even in formal writing, is tolerated in most cases as long as the sentence does not begin a paragraph, the meaning is clear and the rhythm of the prose is effective. A sentence and especially a paragraph should not normally start with a pronoun such as ‘this,’ ‘that’ or ‘they’ even if the antecedent is clear from what has gone before, but particularly if the antecedent is at all ambiguous. Instead, the subject should be clearly stated as a noun or noun phrase to avoid confusion, but the pronoun ‘I’ (as well as ‘we’ in texts with more than one author) is acceptable at the beginning of a sentence or paragraph because there can be no doubt, if the pronoun is used only when it should be, about the meaning. Keep in mind that when a descriptive phrase is used at the beginning of a sentence, it applies to everything that follows until the subject changes or is restated: in the sentence ‘In 1879 he painted his first watercolour and began to work with oils in 1886,’ for instance, the date 1879 applies incorrectly to ‘began’ as well as correctly to ‘painted,’ so rewording is necessary: either ‘He painted his first watercolour in 1879 and began to work with oils in 1886’ or ‘In 1879 he painted his first watercolour, and in 1886 he began to work with oils’ would work.

Dangling participles are often problematic at the beginning of sentences, though they can turn up anywhere in a sentence. A dangling participle occurs when a participle or participial phrase is followed by a word other than the subject it modifies, as it is in ‘Plunging to enormous depths, we marvelled at the canyon’ and ‘Having found the right food at last, the diabetic dog was fed.’ It is clear to a thinking reader familiar with English that the ‘canyon’ plunges ‘to enormous depths’ and the person feeding the dog is the one who ‘found the right food,’ but the sentences do not actually say these things: they say that ‘we’ plunge ‘to enormous depths’ and ‘the diabetic dog’ was the one who ‘found the right food’ because those are the subjects that appear immediately after the participial phrases. Such sentences should be reworded so that their syntax reflects the realities reported: ‘We marvelled at the canyon that plunged to enormous depths’ and ‘Having found the right food at last, he fed the diabetic dog.’ Other kinds of dependent clauses that frequently appear at the beginning of sentences can present problems as well, particularly when they are mistakenly used as independent clauses or full sentences. Although a dependent clause contains a subject and a verb (as the opening clause of this sentence does), it does not express a complete thought; instead, it often begins with a dependent marker word (such as ‘after,’ ‘when,’ ‘if,’ ‘because’ and ‘although’) that leaves the reader waiting for the rest of the thought: ‘After he had drafted his thesis’ and ‘Because she is afraid of fireworks’ are good examples. For this reason, a dependent clause cannot be a complete sentence, but should be either followed by a comma and an independent clause that does complete the thought, or preceded by an independent clause and (if necessary) a comma: ‘After he had drafted his thesis, he had it checked by a professional proofreader’ or ‘We left our dog at home because she is afraid of fireworks.’

Why PhD Success?

To Graduate Successfully

This article is part of a book called "PhD Success" which focuses on the writing process of a phd thesis, with its aim being to provide sound practices and principles for reporting and formatting in text the methods, results and discussion of even the most innovative and unique research in ways that are clear, correct, professional and persuasive.

The assumption of the book is that the doctoral candidate reading it is both eager to write and more than capable of doing so, but nonetheless requires information and guidance on exactly what he or she should be writing and how best to approach the task. The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples.

The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples. PhD Success provides guidance for students familiar with English and the procedures of English universities, but it also acknowledges that many theses in the English language are now written by candidates whose first language is not English, so it carefully explains the scholarly styles, conventions and standards expected of a successful doctoral thesis in the English language.

Individual chapters of this book address reflective and critical writing early in the thesis process; working successfully with thesis supervisors and benefiting from commentary and criticism; drafting and revising effective thesis chapters and developing an academic or scientific argument; writing and formatting a thesis in clear and correct scholarly English; citing, quoting and documenting sources thoroughly and accurately; and preparing for and excelling in thesis meetings and examinations. 

Completing a doctoral thesis successfully requires long and penetrating thought, intellectual rigour and creativity, original research and sound methods (whether established or innovative), precision in recording detail and a wide-ranging thoroughness, as much perseverance and mental toughness as insight and brilliance, and, no matter how many helpful writing guides are consulted, a great deal of hard work over a significant period of time. Writing a thesis can be an enjoyable as well as a challenging experience, however, and even if it is not always so, the personal and professional rewards of achieving such an enormous goal are considerable, as all doctoral candidates no doubt realise, and will last a great deal longer than any problems that may be encountered during the process.

Interested in Proofreading your PhD Thesis? Get in Touch with us

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Rene Tetzner

Rene Tetzner's blog posts dedicated to academic writing. Although the focus is on How To Write a Doctoral Thesis, many other important aspects of research-based writing, editing and publishing are addressed in helpful detail.

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English Teacher Site

Whats the Plural of Thesis: Understanding Singular and Plural Forms

• The plural of “thesis” adheres to the Greek-rooted pattern, changing the singular -is to a plural -es.
• Accurate use of “thesis” and “theses” reflects scholarly precision in both written and oral communication.
• Awareness of correct pluralization extends to other similar nouns ending in -sis, emphasizing the importance of understanding language origins.

It is crucial to use the word correctly in both singular and plural contexts to maintain the integrity of written and spoken communication. In the realm of academics, precision in language reflects the rigor of one’s research and argumentation. As such, understanding the transformation from “thesis” to its plural counterpart is more than a trivial detail; it reflects a deeper appreciation for the structure and history of the English language.

What’s the Plural of Thesis?

The proper plural of thesis is “theses.” This transformation is part of a broader pattern in the English language where certain nouns change their ending to reflect a plural state.

Below, a comparison is made to illustrate the standard singular to plural transformation for nouns ending in -is:

Key Points about the pluralization of “thesis”:

• The plural follows a specific rule of changing the ‘-is’ ending to ‘-es’.
• This pattern is consistent with other Greek-derived words.
• The pronunciation changes with the plural form, ending in “-eez.”

To clarify usage, consider these examples:

• Singular: The student’s thesis was commended for its clarity.
• Plural: The professor read all the submitted theses before the conference.

Singular Form of Thesis

The singular form of ‘thesis’ is of notable interest due to its origins and distinct pluralization.

Origination and Definition:

• Etymology : Derived from the ancient Greek word τίθημι (tithēmi), which means “to put” or “to place.”
• Meaning : It is a statement or theory put forward to be maintained or proved.

Usage in Academia:

• A significant piece of writing prepared by a student to obtain a university degree or diploma.
• Often involves original research and substantiates a particular view or argument.

Table 1: Notable Features of ‘Thesis’

Table 2: Contextual Examples

Definition of Thesis

A thesis is a substantial piece of scholarly writing that is typically required to obtain a master’s or doctoral degree. It represents the author’s research and findings in their chosen field of study. A thesis serves as evidence that the student has acquired the knowledge necessary to be considered a scholar in the field. Here, two key aspects of a thesis will be described through tables:

Purpose and Composition of a Thesis:

Characteristics of a Thesis:

• Focused : It should have a clear, concise premise or central argument.
• Researched : Employs rigorous methodologies to gather and analyze data.
• Structured : Contains defined sections that present information logically.
• Cited : Includes proper citations of sources that support or contrast the thesis.
• Reviewed : Undergoes scrutiny by academic peers or supervisors.

Other Irregular Plural Nouns Ending in -sis/ses

Below you will find two tables categorized by common and less common irregular plurals that follow this pattern.

Common Irregular Plurals:

This pattern is often observed with words that have Greek origins.

Less Common Irregular Plurals:

It is important to recognize these forms to maintain grammatical accuracy in writing and speech. Below is a list of examples used in sentences:

• When multiple scientific hypotheses are tested, the results can lead to important discoveries.
• During the editing process, Jane had to review all the parentheses to ensure clarity in her writing.
• Geographers study multiple oases in the desert to understand these unique ecosystems.
• His thesis on renewable energy was well-received, and many theses on the subject reference his work.

Examples of Thesis (Singular) in Sentences

Here are examples that demonstrate its usage in various sentences.

In Academic Context

In everyday discourse.

Informal setting : During the debate, his thesis was that space exploration is no longer just a dream but a necessity.

• Discussing beliefs : Her thesis is that all public spaces should offer free Wi-Fi.
• Opinion : They argued the thesis that high taxes discourage spending.

Examples of Theses (Plural) in Sentences

Here are some examples of how “theses” can be used in sentences:

Education Setting : Graduate students often struggle to find unique topics for their theses as most ideas have been extensively explored.

• Evaluating the structure and arguments of different theses can help one build a stronger dissertation.

Origin of the Word Thesis

The term thesis originates from the ancient Greek word θέσις (thésis), which means “a proposition” . Historically, this term has played a crucial role in both rhetorical and academic contexts. It denotes a statement that a writer intends to support and prove. In academic circles, thesis often refers to a document that presents the author’s research and findings and is submitted in support of candidature for a degree or professional qualification.

Etymological Background

The journey of the word from its Greek roots to the modern English language reflects the changing dynamics of educational and scholarly practices over the centuries.

As a carryover from Greek to Latin, the word made its way into English, maintaining its original Greek plural form:

Usage in Academia

In academia, the word has been used since the late Middle Ages to denote a scholarly work written by students aiming to obtain a university degree. Over time, the use of thesis expanded from merely referring to a proposition to a lengthy document providing evidence of comprehensive research.

Historical Evolution:

• Middle Ages : Referred to propositions for a degree.
• Renaissance : Emphasized individual research.
• Modern Usage : Extensive research documents for higher education degrees.

Areas of Impact:

• Rhetoric : Considered as a premise to be argued.
• Academic Research : Reflects comprehensive study in a field.

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PhD vs Ph.D. — The Correct Abbr. for “Philosophiae Doctor”

By: Author Marcel Iseli

Posted on Last updated: September 18, 2022

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Remembering abbreviations is naturally difficult especially when the expressions involved are particularly used within specific language communities.

But, in fact, there are a lot of abbreviations out there that you must already be familiar with, just like some internet slang terms such as “TBH,” “SMH,” and “TGIF.”

While this is the case, many other abbreviated expressions that are mainly used in formal contexts remain elusive, just like the abbreviation for “Philosophiae Doctor.”

The question of whether we should use “PhD” or “Ph.D.” is causing some confusion among cybercitizens at present, which is why we are addressing it in our post today.

Let’s start with a short answer to our inquiry.

What is the correct abbreviation for “Philosophiae Doctor”?

In American English, the standard practice is to use “Ph.D.” – the one with the periods; whereas “PhD” – the one without the periods – is mainly used in British English.

The meaning of “Philosophiae Doctor” in a nutshell

The term “Philosophiae Doctor,” otherwise known as “Doctor Philosophiae,” is the Latin equivalent of “Doctor of Philosophy.”

This is a title given to a person who has gained the highest degree or qualification in the academic world.

More importantly, having this achievement entails completing a doctorate program under a specific field in an accredited institution rather than an unaccredited one.

Undoubtedly, you would not want to gain your doctorate degree in so-called “diploma mills” because that would automatically undermine your educational integrity. 

Diploma mills are organizations that are unable to keep up with the best educational practices in a certain country; they may also offer illicit educational programs and degrees for a fee.

Before enrolling in a doctorate program, it is best to check whether the target school is accredited or quality-checked by official agencies.

In the USA, for example, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is the one responsible for university accreditations.

In the UK, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) is responsible for the same role, albeit implementing a relatively different system.

Furthermore, those who are still taking up their doctorate programs are not necessarily referred to as doctors of philosophy just yet; instead, they are still considered candidates for the title.

The length of time and requirements needed to complete a doctorate degree may vary from one institution to another, as well as from one student to another.

So, it is always recommended to scrutinize these nuances beforehand, or else, one might end up in a compromising situation.

Now that we have discussed what it means to become a “Philosophiae Doctor,” let us now move on to the abbreviation part of today’s topic .

The next section elaborates on the abbreviation practices between American and British English language users.

Abbreviating “Philosophiae Doctor”: American vs. British English

One of the hardest-to-learn word-formation processes is word reduction, let alone remembering the symbols by heart and putting them into writing.

In morphology, a major branch of linguistics, the process of reducing words and phrases to conform to certain contexts is what we refer to as “abbreviation.”

The English abbreviation system is made up of several types, namely, acronym, shortening, initialism, and contraction.

One factor that makes abbreviations quite challenging is the difference in the practices between and among certain linguistic communities.

For example, the most common abbreviations in job advertisements include “WFH,” “Mktg.,” and “biz dev”; meanwhile, the popular ones in medicine are “a.c.,” “BKA,” and “GvHD.”

If these terms are not your cup of tea, then it is natural to get them mixed up if and when you encounter these abbreviations for the first time or when you don’t use them that often.

In other larger contexts, there are also some nuances as to how people use entirely the same language in two different geographical locations.

But, in reality, there are too many existing language communities that make use of English either as a native or a second language.

Hence, the next section only focuses on the difference between American and British practices regarding the topic being discussed.

“Ph.D.” is the American way

By and large, we have to steer clear of abbreviations if and when using them would cause communication issues.

That said, we must not use abbreviations on a resume j ust to save space, out of negligence, and even communicative convenience, for instance.

Whether or not periods appear in an abbreviation is also a noticeable grammatical nuance between American and British English.

American English users, as well as followers, are keen on using periods in abbreviated expressions, especially academic titles like “Ph.D.”

For example, the Chicago Manual of Style and the Canadian Oxford Dictionary both recommend using periods after “h” and “D,” thereby making “Ph.D.” the preferred version by most American English users.

Context is vital every time we have to use a language notwithstanding whether it is in spoken or written form because of the assumption that language is inherently ambiguous. 

This means that you would have to determine your target audience first before making the decision as to whether you have to insert or drop the periods.

If your written output is intended for language users adhering to American English, then it would be wise to place periods in “Ph.D.” to receive a favorable response.

But of course, this doesn’t mean that American English users will misunderstand your message if you omit your periods because the letters are utterly more meaningful than the punctuation marks in this context.

“PhD” is the British way

Generally speaking, the periods in “Ph.D.” are omitted among most English language users, which means that the problem as to whether to place the periods is chiefly trivial.

However, the practice of period omission in abbreviations is also something you would likely notice more in British English instead of American English.

In favor of the open-punctuation system, the periods in the abbreviated form of “Philosophiae Doctor” are omitted by British English users, thereby forming “PhD” instead. 

The trend nowadays is also moving towards the omission of periods, which means that punctuation marks are becoming less likely relevant in communication.

This can be attributed to the idea that the technological advancements in the modern world are happening at a break-neck pace and are unlikely to cease anytime soon.

This means that more and more communication modes are becoming available to us, thereby not limiting conversations to text and speech exchanges only.

The other existing communication modes include spatial, gestural, and visual ones — and these are indubitably more attractive than scripts and prints.

Capitalization rules on the abbreviation of “Philosophiae Doctor”

Remembering the complete form of certain abbreviations is already mentally tasking, which means that capitalization rules apparently add insult to the injury.

Therefore, the subsections below aim to address this concern in detail.

Capitalization within the abbreviation “PhD” or “Ph.D.”

As you may already figure, both “D” and “P” are capitalized but “h” is written in lowercase both in “PhD” and “Ph.D.”

This is because “P” and “h” are both parts of the word “Philosophiae” or “Philosophy,” while “D” is a separate initial standing for “Doctor.”

In referring to a person with a doctorate degree, the general format is to start with the complete name (i.e., first then last name) followed by the academic title which can either be “PhD” or “Ph.D.”

Depending on the communicative intent, the specific field that the person has graduated from may or may not be included when writing.

Commas generally come after abbreviations especially between names and academic titles no matter whether they are written as isolated entities or made part of sentences.

Here is an example of using academic titles as individual entities:

  Do not precede the name with a name title if you are going to state the academic title after the name of the person to avoid redundancy.

  Note that a comma must also come after the academic title if it appears either at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence.

Here’s a sentence using a person’s name with a doctorate title:

Capitalizing “PhD” or “Ph.D.” within sentences

Name titles or honorifics are capitalized by default when they precede the name of the person and are not used as a descriptive element in a sentence, such as in “Mr. Doe.”

The purpose of capitalization in name titles is to convey tact and respect toward the addressee, which is the standard practice in business and academic writing contexts.

In the case of academic titles, the general rule is to always capitalize them wherever they appear in a sentence.

Decidedly enough, obtaining a master’s degree is already not an easy task because it requires a lot of time and effort to get done, let alone completing a doctorate degree.

But more importantly, another purpose of the mentioned capitalization is to remove the ambiguities a reader might encounter upon reading abbreviations used within sentences.

Hence, the capitalization of name titles, as well as other known abbreviations, makes sentences more readable or intelligible.

Here are example sentences using “PhD” or “Ph.D.” only:

  When in doubt, you can always use “PhD” as a default choice because it is the more common choice between the two.

But, there is also a need to remember that there is nothing wrong with using the periods in abbreviating the phrase “Philosophiae Doctor.”.

Apart from capitalization, pluralization rules on abbreviations also seem to be a tricky concern for some; hence, the last section below focuses on shedding light on this.

Pluralizing “PhD” or “Ph.D.”: PhDs vs. Ph.D.’s

Punctuation marks are generally avoided in British English, while punctuation marks are mainly preferred in American English.

That said, we can already assume that the use of “PhDs” is mainly a British practice, whereas the use of “Ph.D.’s” is substantially American.

Apostrophes are mainly used for contractions in British English, but these marks are used for both pluralization and contraction in American English.

Here are examples of using the plural form of “PhD” or “Ph.D.” in sentences:

  But then again, it is worthy to note that either option would not necessarily cause misinterpretation to any target readers, hence a minor concern.

The only time that you may need to check for writing style guidelines is when you are submitting your output to authorities like publishing companies and institutional bodies.

In general, though, you can always go with either “PhDs” or “Ph.D.’s” in writing, but the more popular choice is, again, the one without the punctuation marks.

However, if you want to increase the formality of the message you are conveying, then you can go with the one that contains more punctuation marks.

Abbreviations, albeit tricky, are important elements that make communication faster and easier for groups of people that speak the same language.

But, we should also bear in mind (not “bare in mind”) that excessive and random use of abbreviations could meanwhile cause misinterpretation to outsiders.

Therefore, to make the most out of abbreviations, they have to be aimed at moderate and context-appropriate usage.

Frequently Asked Questions on “PhD vs. Ph.D.”

What do we mean by “dphil”.

“DPhil” means “Doctor of Philosophy.” This abbreviation also serves a similar purpose as “PhD” or “Ph.D.”. These abbreviations are used to represent the highest academic title a person can achieve in an institution.

Are “PhD” and “DPhil” the same?

“PhD” and “DPhil” mean the same, although the former would lean more toward the complete Latin form which is “Philosophiae Doctor” and the latter being “Doctor of Philosophy,” if we are to look into the letter sequence. In general, “PhD” or “Ph.D.” is more widely used than “DPhil.”

Should there be a period after “r” in the abbreviation for “Doctor” and “Drive”?

In British English, no period comes after abbreviations of contracted words like “doctor” and “drive.” The opposite is true in American English, which means that the general practice is to use “Dr.” instead of “Dr” in writing. 

Hey fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of linguaholic.com. Languages have always been my passion and I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my utmost pleasure to share with all of you guys what I know about languages and linguistics in general.

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Should I Write Ph.D. or PhD? (Complete Guide)

As some of you are probably aware, the kind of English used on my side of the pond (England) is sometimes a bit different to the English used in the land of burgers and Trump.

Some words are spelt differently. But others just have a few bits of grammar difference.

Today, I want to look at the difference between Ph.D. and PhD. We’ll look at which one is correct, what it stands for, and why it’s a bit odd that it stands for that.

Should I Write Ph.D. Or PhD?

It is correct to write both Ph.D. and PhD. Which one is best to use depends on where you are in the world. In Great Britain, they tend to use Ph.D. In the United States of America, they prefer to use Ph.D.

What Does Ph.D. Or PhD Stand For?

Let’s try to understand what Ph.D. stands for.

It stands for two things. And it doesn’t stand for one or the other, it stands for both of them at the same time.

The first thing is “Doctor of Philosophy” and the second is “Philosophiae Doctor”. As the eagle-eyed among you may have noticed, “Philosophiae” is not English. It’s in Latin.

This goes back to the days when the only people who needed university were high thinkers and philosophers.

Why Americans And Brits Disagree On Ph.D. Or PhD

This could help us to understand why Brits prefer PhD but Americans prefer Ph.D.

Perhaps, according to the Brits, it stands for “Philosophiae Doctor”. But, according to the Americans, it stands for “Doctor or Philosophy”.

After all, the Brits do have a habit of trying to sound smarter. But, whichever one you use, people on both sides should know what you’re saying.

Why Ph.D. Or PhD Is A Bit Strange

Now, I want you all to understand how strange it is to call anyone with a PhD a “doctor of Philosophy”.

Let’s say someone gets a Ph.D. in history.

Well, first of all, is she really a doctor? If you break your leg, she’s not the first person you’ll go to for help.

But not only that, she studied history, not philosophy. So, she’s called a doctor of philosophy despite not being a doctor and not having studied history.

Yet, for some reason, we still call her a “Doctor of philosophy”.

Where Does The Word “Doctor” Come From?

When most of us hear the word “Doctor”, we think of someone who makes us better when we’re sick. And there may be a few of you who think of a skinny man who travels through time in a Police Box.

But originally, “Doctor” was Latin for teacher. Through time, you were able to get a “PhD” in more things than just philosophy.

And, if you wanted to become what we think of as a “Doctor”, you would need to have a “doctorate” in medicine.

Technically, “Doctor” would be the wrong word . But it’s become so common, it’s managed to “common” itself enough to become the right word.

How To Get A Ph.D. Or PhD

Now I’m afraid you can’t just walk into a university and walk out with a PhD. There are steps you need to take before you get there.

First of all, you will need to do a Bachelor’s degree. This is the degree you do when you first enter university. There are some jobs where a bachelors is enough.

Let’s be honest here, most of the time you spend doing a bachelor is just having fun.

If you want to, you can then progress onto doing a master’s degree. This is a bit more high level, and you tend to need to work for it.

Once you have your bachelors you may decide to go on to get a PhD. If you go for this, you will be officially able to call yourself an intellectual.

What Kind Of Word Is Ph.D. Or PhD?

There are three ideas for what kind of word Ph.D. is. I’ll tell you all of them and let you make up your own mind.

A PhD is something you have. You work towards it, and once you’ve handed in all of your papers, you get a PhD.

A PhD is also something you are. If you have a PhD, you might say “I’m a PhD.”

It can also be a title, similar to “Sir” or “OBE”.

If your name is James Smith, and you are PhD, your name and title could be, Mr James Smith PhD.

How To Address Someone With A Ph.D. Or PhD

Talking of this man called James Smith, there are several ways to address and introduce him.

• If you have a Ph.D., you are allowed to call yourself “Doctor” even if you don’t have a PhD in medicine. Therefore, if he wants, James could be called Dr Smith.
• Maybe he doesn’t want to be confused for a medical doctor but still wants to show off his Ph.D. In that case, we can call him James Smith PhD.
• But, like many with a Ph.D., he may not want to mention it unless it’s important. If he’s one of these people, we should just call him Mr Smith.

Ph.D. Or PhD Vs Doctorate

Asking “What’s the difference between a PhD and a doctorate?” is a bit like asking what the difference is between an apple and a fruit.

Just like an apple is a kind of fruit, a PhD is a kind of doctorate. However, it’s not the only doctorate there is.

Here are some forms of doctorate you may want to know.

Doctor of philosophy. But now also means Doctor of something there isn’t a doctorate for.

Doctorate in business.

Doctorate in engineering.

Doctorate in education

Doctor of medicine.

If you were wondering whether you should write “PhD” or “Ph.D.”, you can write either, both are grammatically correct, and both are very common terms that mean the same thing.

The only slight difference is that “PhD” is more common in England and “Ph.D.” is more common in America. This is perhaps because the British believe it stands for “philosophiae doctor” but Americans see it as “Doctor of Philosophy”.

But, no matter whether you use “PhD” or “Ph.D.”, to have one, you neither need to be a doctor nor study philosophy. All you need to do is stay in university for long enough to be able to get yourself a PhD. Then, you can become a PhD, and your title will be PhD.

You may also like: DSc Degree vs. PhD Degree – What’s the Difference? 9 Correct Ways to Write PhD Title on a Business Card

Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here .

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