Plural of “kiss”

The plural of kiss is kisses.

Why

"Kiss" comes from Old English "coss" (noun) and "cyssan" (verb), both native Germanic words entirely unrelated to the French-derived "bise" or other European kissing vocabulary — a genuinely native English word for an act found across nearly every human culture. Its sibilant double-s ending requires the standard -es plural, exactly as with "dress" and "glass."

Because "kiss" has stayed in continuous everyday use for well over a thousand years without ever passing through a specialized scholarly or technical register, it has no alternate historical plural form worth discussing — unlike many of the borrowed words elsewhere on this list, its plural has essentially never been in question at any point in its recorded history.

Usage note

"Kisses" is used identically across its literal sense (physical kisses) and its common figurative or affectionate extensions (chocolate "kisses," as in the candy brand, and closing a letter "with kisses," as in "xoxo") — the plural form doesn't shift meaning on its own; context does the work.

Its close relative, the verb "to kiss," inflects the same way in the third person singular ("he kisses his children goodnight"), which is unsurprising once you know both words share the identical Old English root and the identical final sibilant sound. Chocolate "Kisses," the candy brand, took its name in the early 20th century from the sound the machinery made while depositing the chocolate, an entirely separate coincidence from the affectionate gesture, yet both senses share the identical plural spelling simply because both ultimately derive their name from the same common English noun.

Common real mistakes

The main slip to watch for is dropping the -e and writing "kisss" or "kissess" — neither is correct; the plural is simply "kisses," the base word's double s plus the regular -es ending.

The wider pattern

"Kiss" completes the trio with "dress" and "glass" as ordinary native or long-naturalized -ss sibilant nouns whose only real irregularity is the mechanical spelling rule, with no deeper etymological complication behind the plural itself. Cultural greeting customs involving kisses vary considerably worldwide, from a single cheek kiss in some countries to three or more alternating kisses in others, a genuine source of social confusion for travelers unfamiliar with the local norm, though the English plural itself stays the same regardless of how many kisses a given custom involves.

Examples

• She left dozens of kisses on the baby's forehead that afternoon.
• Their first kisses were nervous and a little clumsy, they both admitted later.
• The candy bowl was full of foil-wrapped chocolate kisses.
• He signed the card with a row of little x's for kisses.
• Grandmother always gave three kisses on the cheek as a greeting.
• The film's most famous scene involves two kisses shot from different angles.
• She blew kisses to the crowd as she walked off the stage.
• Their goodbye kisses at the airport lasted longer than either expected.
• The wedding photos captured several candid kisses throughout the reception.
• He collected small kisses on the cheek from each of his nieces.
• The bowl of chocolate kisses disappeared within the first hour of the party.
• Their goodbye kisses became a running joke among their friends.
• She counted the kisses stamped on the inside of the card.
• Two quick kisses on the cheek were how she always greeted family.
• Greeting customs in some countries involve three alternating kisses on the cheek.
• The couple's first kisses were captured by an alert wedding photographer.
• She still keeps the letters signed with rows of little kisses.
• Grandparents exchanged warm kisses with every grandchild at the reunion.
• The photographer captured dozens of candid kisses throughout the day.
• Their first kisses as a married couple were caught on camera.
• The old film ends with two lingering kisses under a streetlamp.
• She still treasures the letters closed with small drawn kisses.