Plural of “wish”

The plural of wish is wishes.

Why

"Wish" comes from Old English "wysc" (noun) and "wyscan" (verb), both from a Germanic root meaning to desire or hope for. As a noun ending in the sibilant cluster "-sh," it takes the standard -es plural required for that sound, the same rule governing "brush," "dress," and "kiss" elsewhere on this list.

"Wishes" is a genuine homograph across word classes: it's both the plural noun ("her wishes came true") and the third-person singular present-tense verb ("she wishes for rain") — identical spelling and pronunciation serving two different grammatical roles, a pairing that happens naturally whenever a noun and its related verb both take the same -es sibilant ending in their respective inflected forms.

Usage note

Context alone distinguishes the two uses in a sentence; "he wishes" is unambiguous as a verb because it needs a subject and typically a following clause or object, while "his wishes" is unambiguous as a plural noun because of the possessive construction — genuine ambiguity is rare in practice despite the identical spelling.

"Wishes" appears constantly in set phrases and formulaic expressions — "best wishes," "make a wish," birthday and holiday greetings — where the plural functions almost as a genre marker of a particular kind of warm, formulaic closing statement rather than literally counting distinct desires. Folklore across many cultures features the "three wishes" motif, most famously in stories involving a granted wish that comes with an unexpected cost, and this narrative pattern has made "wishes" one of the more culturally loaded plural nouns in everyday English, carrying connotations well beyond its plain grammatical function.

Common real mistakes

The only real spelling risk is dropping the -e and writing "wishs," which is incorrect; the sibilant "-sh" ending always requires the full "-es," with no shortcuts.

The wider pattern

"Wish" joins "brush," "dress," and "kiss" as ordinary Germanic-rooted English nouns whose only irregularity is the mechanical sibilant spelling rule — none of them carry any deeper etymological story explaining an alternate or historical plural the way the Latin or French borrowings on this list do. Make-A-Wish and similar charitable organizations have given the word "wishes" a specific, widely recognized cultural association with granting a seriously ill child's deepest hope, a modern institutional use layered on top of the word's much older folkloric and everyday senses.

Examples

• She wrote down three wishes before blowing out the candles.
• All of his wishes for the trip came true within the first week.
• The genie granted only three wishes, according to the old story.
• Their wishes for a quiet wedding were mostly respected by the families.
• The card was filled with warm wishes from coworkers she barely knew.
• Both of their wishes for the new house turned out to be impossible to afford.
• He kept a private list of wishes he never told anyone about.
• The charity grants wishes to children facing serious illness.
• Her parents' wishes for her career didn't match her own plans.
• Everyone's wishes at the fountain were tossed in with a coin.
• The folk tale warns against wasting your wishes carelessly.
• She whispered her wishes into the wind on her birthday.
• Their wishes for the new year rarely came true as planned.
• The wishing well was full of coins tossed in with silent wishes.
• The charity has granted thousands of wishes to children over the decades.
• Her wishes for the ceremony were simple: no speeches, no surprises.
• The genie in the story grants wishes with unexpected and ironic consequences.
• Both of their wishes for the future finally seemed to align.
• Their wishes for a simple ceremony were mostly granted.
• She kept a jar of handwritten wishes from her students.
• The wishing tree was covered in ribbons tied with handwritten wishes.
• Her wishes for the trip were modest compared to her sister's ambitious list.