Potatoes vs Potatos often appears in online chats, memes, and ads, and the spelling confusion keeps showing up everywhere because both forms look so similar.
I’ve seen this mistake in recipes, grocery ads, and even casual cooking notes, and it usually starts with not knowing the plural rule for potato. The correct spelling adds -es, not just an o, and that tiny quirk comes from older English forms borrowed from Central America and South America. My grandmother’s handwritten recipe list was the first place where I had to learn the proper form, and it helped me avoid the classic typo that still appears in social posts and pop culture everywhere.
Over the years, I’ve noticed how the mistake persists, whether someone is planning dinner, drafting a shopping list, or checking nutrition values for sweet potatoes. Even in the garden when I’m looking at sprouted potatoes or picking the most-produced crop in the world, someone always asks which spelling is right. The accepted version is potatoes, and once you know the rule, you can follow it confidently while cooking, writing, or simply trying to keep your English polished in both formal and informal contexts.
Why Potatoes vs Potatos Still Confuses Writers
You wouldn’t expect a simple vegetable to cause so much spelling drama, yet it does. The mix-up usually appears when someone tries to apply a general English rule—add -s to make a plural. That works for thousands of nouns, so people assume it works here too.
However…
Potato doesn’t follow the basic -s rule.
Its plural grows an extra “e” before adding the s, resulting in:
potato → potatoes
Why do we add the e?
Why do similar words like pianos and photos not use it?
What made English evolve this way?
You’ll discover all that—and much more—below.
The Real Origin of the Word “Potato”
The spelling of potatoes didn’t appear by accident. It reflects a rich linguistic journey stretching from the Caribbean to Spain and eventually into English.
Where the Word Came From
English borrowed potato from the Spanish word patata. That Spanish word formed when two older words blended:
- batata — a Taino word for sweet potato
- papa — a Quechua word for white potato
Spain encountered sweet potatoes first, then the white potato, eventually combining influences into patata.
When the word arrived in England during the 1500s, two spellings circulated:
- potato
- potatoe (an older but short-lived variation)
Both forms eventually competed, but English standardized potato as the singular.
Historical Timeline of the Word “Potato”
| Century | Spelling Trend | Notes |
| 1500s | potatoe, potato | Both used in trade logs and agricultural notes |
| 1600s | potato | Stabilized through farming adoption across Europe |
| 1700s | potatoes (plural) | Added -es, following older plural conventions |
| 1800s–Present | potato / potatoes | Standard spelling in all major English dictionaries |
A fun twist:
Some early dictionaries did list potatoe as an alternate spelling. That version faded by the early 1800s.
How the Plural of Potato Developed
English spelling often reflects older pronunciation rules rather than modern logic. The -es ending in potatoes is a perfect example.
Why Add “-es” Instead of “-s”?
English nouns ending in -o sometimes add -es because speakers historically added an extra syllable after certain consonants. That extra syllable made the word easier to pronounce.
So instead of saying potato-s (two abrupt consonant sounds together), speakers added a smoother ending:
potato → potato-es → potatoes
English eventually standardized this.
But not all -o words follow the same pattern.
Which -o Words Take -es vs -s?
Here’s a clear comparison:
Table: -o Nouns and Their Correct Plurals
| Noun | Correct Plural | Why |
| potato | potatoes | Traditional “food/plant” category takes -es |
| tomato | tomatoes | Same rule as potato |
| hero | heroes | Word ends in consonant + o |
| echo | echoes | Preserves pronunciation |
| piano | pianos | Borrowed word; doesn’t follow old rule |
| photo | photos | Shortened word (photograph); takes -s |
| memo | memos | Modern abbreviation |
| avocado | avocados | Latin-based word; modern English uses -s |
Pattern to remember:
Older English words and food terms often use -es, while newer or borrowed words usually use -s.
Potatoes vs Potatos: What Each Word Actually Means
Let’s break each form down with accuracy and clarity.
“Potatoes”: The Correct Plural Form
The plural of potato is always:
✔ potatoes
You use it when referring to:
- multiple whole potatoes
- mashed potatoes
- roasted potatoes
- any recipe using more than one potato
Examples in Real Context
- “I bought three pounds of potatoes for dinner.”
- “The farmer loaded crates of fresh potatoes onto the truck.”
- “She added diced potatoes to the stew.”
“Potatos”: Why This Spelling Is Incorrect
The spelling potatos appears everywhere—social media, blogs, even product packaging—but it remains grammatically wrong.
Why people still use potatos:
- They apply the regular “add -s” rule automatically.
- They assume food words follow the same rule as modern nouns like tacos or avocados.
- Spell-check sometimes fails to catch it.
- The incorrect version “looks right” to the unfamiliar eye.
Examples of Incorrect Usage
- “I peeled five potatos before realizing the mistake.”
- “This recipe needs two large potatos.”
- “Roasted potatos with garlic taste amazing.”
None of these are correct.
Replace each with potatoes.
Why the Misspelling Became Popular
A few surprising and not-so-surprising reasons contribute to the confusion.
Reason 1: English Has Too Many Irregular Rules
English doesn’t maintain consistent spelling rules, especially with imported words. That inconsistency leads people to assume the simplest pattern always applies.
Reason 2: The Dan Quayle Incident Cemented the Confusion
In 1992, US Vice President Dan Quayle corrected a child’s spelling of potato to potatoe—incorrectly.
News outlets replayed the clip for years.
The embarrassment made potatoe and potatos infamous and weirdly familiar, even to people who had never written the words before.
Reason 3: People Mirror What They See Online
When a misspelling becomes widespread, new readers mimic it, believing it’s correct. Search engines then return both spellings, which increases confusion.
How to Always Remember the Correct Spelling
Here are practical memory tools you can use instantly.
Memory Trick 1: Tomato + Potato Rule
Both words end with -to, both relate to produce, and both follow the same plural rule:
- tomato → tomatoes
- potato → potatoes
Memory Trick 2: The Word “Eats” Trick
Imagine the plural potatoes “eats” an e before adding the s.
It sounds silly—yet you’ll never forget it.
Memory Trick 3: Add “-es” to Food Words Ending in -o
This rule applies to:
- potatoes
- tomatoes
- mangoes
- torpedoes
Memory Trick 4: A Quick Three-Step Checklist
Ask yourself:
- Is the word older than the 1800s?
- Is it related to food or farming?
- Does it end in consonant + o?
If all are yes → add -es.
Side-by-Side Comparison: Potatoes vs Potatos
Table: Correct vs Incorrect Spelling
| Word | Correct? | Notes | Example Sentence |
| potatoes | ✔ Yes | Standard plural | “She baked rosemary potatoes.” |
| potatos | ✘ No | Common misspelling | “He ordered fried potatos.” (Incorrect) |
Practical Usage: Sentences, Contexts, and Real-World Examples
Let’s look at deeper usage examples you can use in:
- cooking blogs
- agricultural writing
- school assignments
- everyday speech
Beginner-Level Examples
- “Wash the potatoes before cutting them.”
- “The bowl contains mashed potatoes.”
Intermediate-Level Examples
- “The chef selected waxy potatoes because they hold their shape when roasted.”
- “Farmers harvest potatoes in late summer, depending on the climate.”
Advanced Examples
- “Researchers study how soil pH influences starch development in early-season potatoes.”
- “Global trade data shows potatoes among the top five most consumed crops worldwide.”
Read More: Shiny or Shiney: Which Spelling Is Correct?
Related Spelling Questions People Ask
People searching “potatoes or potatos” often ask about other confusing words. Here’s a helpful breakdown.
Similar -o Words with Confusing Plurals
| Word | Plural | Notes |
| avocado | avocados | Always -s |
| tomato | tomatoes | Exception → -es |
| volcano | volcanoes / volcanos | Both accepted |
| zero | zeros | US standard |
| hero | heroes | Add -es |
| embryo | embryos | Add -s |
Common Vegetable Name Errors
Some food names confuse writers because they look like plurals even when they’re not.
- broccoli
- zucchini
- asparagus
- spinach
- chickpeas
Writers often misspell them because the endings feel unnatural.
Quick Fixes
- Broccoli ends in “-li,” not “-ly”
- Zucchini has double “c” and double “n”
- Asparagus never ends with “-es”
- Spinach isn’t spelled like “spinage”
- Chickpeas is always two words joined together
FAQs:
Is “potatos” ever correct in any dialect?
No. Neither British nor American English recognizes potatos as correct.
Did dictionaries ever allow the spelling “potatos”?
No. Some listed potatoe, but never potatos.
Why does the plural of potato end with -es?
Because historical pronunciation patterns favored an added syllable.
Does the rule apply to every -o ending noun?
No. English has mixed rules depending on word origin.
Is “Nosy vs. Nosey” similar to “potatoes vs potatos”?
In a way, yes.
Both involve one correct form and one commonly misused variation.
Just as “nosy” is the preferred modern spelling over “nosey,” potatoes remains the only accepted plural form.
Conclusion:
In the end, the mix-up between potatoes and potatos stays alive because people see both versions everywhere, from quick online posts to casual recipe notes. But once you understand the rule and why the -es ending matters, the choice becomes clear and easy to follow. With that small bit of knowledge, you can write with confidence, avoid the old typo, and enjoy your meals without wondering which spelling belongs on the page.
Emma Brooke is a passionate writer and language enthusiast who loves helping people improve their English. She shares simple tips, clear explanations, and practical advice to make learning grammar easy and fun.
