The correct spelling is attorneys, not attornies. Attorneys is the plural form of attorney, meaning more than one lawyer. The confusion comes from words such as party → parties and city → cities, but attorney follows a different pattern because the y comes after the vowel e. Therefore, you simply add s: attorney → attorneys.
If you are writing an email, essay, legal document, or website content, use attorneys when referring to two or more lawyers. In this article, you will learn why attorneys is correct, why attornies is a common mistake, how to use the word naturally in sentences, and how it differs from related terms such as attorney general.
| Term | Meaning | Correct? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| attorney | One lawyer | Yes | She is an attorney. |
| attorneys | More than one lawyer | Yes | Several attorneys attended the meeting. |
| attornies | Incorrect plural spelling | No | Several attornies attended the meeting. |
Is It Attornies or Attorneys?
The correct spelling is attorneys.
Use attorney when you are talking about one lawyer and attorneys when you are talking about two or more lawyers.
Singular: attorney
Plural: attorneys
Attornies is not an alternative spelling. It is a common misspelling of attorneys.
The confusion usually happens because many English nouns ending in y change to ies in the plural. For example, party becomes parties and city becomes cities. However, that pattern does not apply to every word ending in y.
Why Is Attorneys the Correct Spelling?
The key is the letter that comes immediately before the final y.
When a word ends in a vowel followed by y, you generally keep the y and add s to make the plural.
For example:
- boy → boys
- key → keys
- day → days
- employee → employees
- attorney → attorneys
In attorney, the final y comes after e, which is a vowel. Therefore:
attorney + s = attorneys
You do not change the y to ie.
Why Is Attornies Incorrect?
Attornies looks logical if you are thinking about words such as family → families or company → companies.
However, those words end in a consonant followed by y. Their plural forms change the y to ies.
Compare the two patterns:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| city | cities |
| party | parties |
| family | families |
| company | companies |
| attorney | attorneys |
| boy | boys |
| key | keys |
The important thing to remember is that simply ending in y does not automatically mean the plural must end in ies.
What Does Attorney Mean?
An attorney is a lawyer. The word is commonly used for a person who is legally qualified to practice law.
For example:
She hired an attorney to help with her case.
Because the sentence refers to one lawyer, attorney is singular.
When referring to multiple lawyers, use attorneys:
The attorneys discussed the case with their clients.
The word appears frequently in legal documents, news reports, business communication, court related discussions, and everyday conversations.
Attorney vs. Attorneys
The difference between attorney and attorneys is simply the number of people being discussed.
| Word | Number | Example |
|---|---|---|
| attorney | One | The attorney called the client. |
| attorneys | Two or more | The attorneys called their clients. |
This difference can also affect the verb in a sentence.
The attorney is available.
The attorneys are available.
Using the correct singular or plural form makes the sentence grammatically clear.
How to Use Attorneys in a Sentence
Use attorneys when you are referring to more than one lawyer.
Here are some natural examples:
- Several attorneys reviewed the contract.
- The attorneys met with their clients.
- The company hired two attorneys.
- The attorneys discussed the legal options.
- Several attorneys attended the hearing.
- The attorneys prepared the necessary documents.
- Many attorneys specialize in different areas of law.
For one lawyer, use attorney:
The attorney reviewed the contract.
For multiple lawyers:
The attorneys reviewed the contract.
Attorney General or Attorneys General?
Another phrase that can cause confusion is attorney general.
The singular form is:
attorney general
The standard plural form is:
attorneys general
For example:
The attorney general announced the decision.
When referring to more than one:
Several attorneys general issued a statement.
The plural is not normally attorney generals.
This is because attorney is the main noun in the phrase, while general describes it. The noun attorney therefore takes the plural form.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| attorney | attorneys |
| attorney general | attorneys general |
Common Uses of Attorneys
The word attorneys can be used in many different contexts.
Legal Writing
The attorneys submitted the required documents.
Business Writing
The company’s attorneys reviewed the agreement.
News Writing
The attorneys representing the defendant spoke to reporters.
Everyday Conversation
We spoke with several attorneys before making a decision.
Academic Writing
The researchers interviewed attorneys about their professional experiences.
In each example, attorneys refers to more than one lawyer.
Similar Plural Words That Can Help
Looking at similar words can make the spelling rule easier to remember.
Words ending in a vowel plus y generally keep the y and add s.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| attorney | attorneys |
| boy | boys |
| key | keys |
| day | days |
| toy | toys |
| employee | employees |
Words ending in a consonant plus y often change y to ies.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| city | cities |
| party | parties |
| family | families |
| country | countries |
| story | stories |
| company | companies |
So, instead of remembering a complicated rule, look at the letter immediately before the y.
Common Mistakes
Writing Attornies
Incorrect:
The attornies reviewed the case.
Correct:
The attorneys reviewed the case.
The final y stays in the plural form.
Using Attorney for Multiple Lawyers
Incorrect:
Three attorney attended the meeting.
Correct:
Three attorneys attended the meeting.
Because the sentence refers to three people, the plural form is necessary.
Writing Attorney Generals
Incorrect:
Several attorney generals attended the conference.
Correct:
Several attorneys general attended the conference.
The standard plural form is attorneys general.
Assuming Every Y Becomes IES
This is the main reason people write attornies.
For example:
party → parties
but:
attorney → attorneys
The letter before the final y determines which plural pattern applies.
An Easy Way to Remember Attorneys
Think about the ending of the singular word:
attornEY
The y comes after e, a vowel.
So you keep the y and add s:
attorney → attorneys
You can remember the same pattern with:
key → keys
boy → boys
employee → employees
This makes it easier to avoid the incorrect spelling attornies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is attornies a correct spelling?
No. Attornies is an incorrect spelling. The correct plural form of attorney is attorneys.
What is the plural of attorney?
The plural of attorney is attorneys. For example, The attorneys reviewed the agreement.
Why is it attorneys instead of attornies?
The word attorney ends in ey. Because the final y follows a vowel, you keep the y and add s.
Is attorney singular or plural?
Attorney is singular. It refers to one lawyer.
Is attorneys singular or plural?
Attorneys is plural. It refers to two or more lawyers.
Is attorney general pluralized as attorneys general?
Yes. The standard plural form is attorneys general.
Can lawyer and attorney mean the same thing?
In everyday American English, lawyer and attorney are commonly used to refer to the same type of legal professional. Specific terminology can vary depending on the legal context.
How do you remember the spelling of attorneys?
Remember the ending ey in attorney. Keep the y and add s: attorney → attorneys.
Conclusion
When choosing between attornies or attorneys, the correct spelling is attorneys. Attornies is a misspelling and should not be used in professional or everyday writing.
The easiest way to remember the correct form is to look at the ending of attorney. Because the final y follows the vowel e, you simply add s.
Attorney → Attorneys
Also remember that the related phrase attorney general becomes attorneys general in the plural.
So, whenever you mean more than one lawyer, the correct choice is attorneys.
Grace Holden writes about English vocabulary and common word differences, helping learners understand tricky words with simple, practical explanations.