Potatoes or Potatos: Which Spelling Is Correct?
Potatoes is the correct plural of potato. Potatos is a misspelling — it is never correct. Words ending in a consonant + o add -es in the plural: potato → potatoes, tomato → tomatoes.
For example, “We harvested the potatoes” is correct. “We harvested the potatos” is wrong. This exact error once embarrassed a US vice president on national television.
Quick Answer
| Word | Part of Speech | Main Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potatoes | Noun (plural) | More than one potato | Mash the potatoes. |
| Potatos | — | Not a word (misspelling) | ❌ Never correct |
Simple rule: Consonant + o → add -es: potato → potatoes.
What Does Potatoes Mean?
Potatoes is the plural of potato, the starchy root vegetable eaten worldwide as fries, mash, and baked potatoes. It follows the standard English rule for nouns ending in consonant + o.
Examples:
- We need more potatoes for dinner.
- The farmer grows potatoes and carrots.
- She peeled the potatoes before boiling them.
- Roast potatoes are my favorite side dish.
- The store sells potatoes by the bag.
See potato on Merriam-Webster, which gives the plural as potatoes.
What Does Potatos Mean?
Potatos means nothing — it is a misspelling. It comes from adding only -s to potato, skipping the e that the consonant + o rule requires.
The Famous “Potatoe” Incident
In 1992, US Vice President Dan Quayle visited a school spelling bee and “corrected” a 12-year-old student’s correct spelling of potato by telling him to add an e — producing “potatoe” on national TV. The moment became a legendary spelling joke. The student’s original spelling was right all along, just as potatoes needs its e before the s.
Like “heros” instead of heroes, potatos drops a letter the plural rule demands.
Potatoes vs. Potatos: Key Differences
| Feature | Potatoes | Potatos |
|---|---|---|
| Is it a word? | Yes | No |
| Plural rule | Consonant + o → add -es | Wrongly adds only -s |
| Letter before o | t (consonant) — needs -es | — |
| Example | A sack of potatoes. | ❌ Never use |
The Consonant + O Rule
| Word | Ends in | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | Consonant + o (to) | Potatoes |
| Tomato | Consonant + o (to) | Tomatoes |
| Hero | Consonant + o (ro) | Heroes |
| Echo | Consonant + o (cho) | Echoes |
| Radio | Vowel + o (io) | Radios |
| Studio | Vowel + o (io) | Studios |
Consonant before the o → add -es. Vowel before the o → just add -s. Compare with the vowel + y pattern in monkeys vs monkies — English plural rules always hinge on the letter before the ending.
Examples in Real Sentences
In the Kitchen
Potatoes: “Boil the potatoes until they are soft.”
The correct plural in everyday cooking language.
At the Market
Potatoes: “These potatoes are freshly dug.”
Signs at markets should always read potatoes.
On a Menu
Potatoes: “The dish comes with roasted potatoes.”
A “potatos” typo on a menu looks careless to customers.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Writing “Potatos”
❌ We bought five kilos of potatos.
✅ We bought five kilos of potatoes.
Why: Consonant + o needs -es.
Mistake 2: Writing “Tomatos”
❌ The salad has fresh tomatos.
✅ The salad has fresh tomatoes.
Why: Same rule — tomato ends in consonant + o.
Mistake 3: Adding “-es” After Vowel + O
❌ Turn on the radioes.
✅ Turn on the radios.
Why: Radio ends in vowel + o, so just add -s.
Pronunciation
Potatoes is pronounced /pəˈteɪtoʊz/ (puh-TAY-tohz).
The misspelling potatos would sound identical, which is why the error survives careless proofreading.
How to Remember the Difference
Memory trick: Think of the trio heroes, potatoes, tomatoes — they all march together with ES at the end.
- heroes, potatoes, tomatoes — consonant + O takes ES.
- If tomatoes looks right to you (it should — ketchup!), then potatoes must take ES too.
When in doubt, think “tomatoes” — and give potatoes the same ending.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it potatoes or potatos?
Always potatoes. Potatos is a misspelling.
Why “potatoes” and not “potatos”?
Nouns ending in consonant + o add -es in the plural. Potato ends in t (consonant) + o.
What was the Dan Quayle potato incident?
In 1992, the US vice president wrongly “corrected” a student’s spelling of potato to “potatoe” at a school spelling bee — on live television. It became a famous spelling joke.
Is “potatos” ever acceptable?
No. No dictionary lists potatos as a word.
What about “tomatoes”?
Tomatoes is correct for the same reason — consonant + o takes -es.
Conclusion
Potatoes is correct; potatos is always wrong. Remember the heroes–potatoes–tomatoes trio, and the consonant + o rule will stick for good.
