Freshman vs. Freshmen 

"Freshman" vs. "Freshmen" in English

What Is Their Main Difference?

Both refer to first-year students entering an academic institute such as a university, college, high school, etc. However, 'freshmen' is the plural form and refers to a group of first-year students, whereas, 'freshman' refers to one person.

Differences

'Freshman' refers to a single first-year student entering an academic institute like a university, school, etc. 'Freshmen', on the other hand, refers to a group of first-year students. In recent years, some institutions have started using more gender-inclusive terms, such as "first-year students" or "first-years," to avoid gendered language. Check out the examples below:

Example

Today, we're going to welcome our freshmen.

The freshman class of 2022 had a lot of students from out of state.

Similarities

They both refer to first-year students in an academic institute. Look below:

Example

Most senior students mock the freshmen.

Is your son a freshman?

Are They Interchangeable?

Since they differ in number, they cannot be used interchangeably. One is plural, while the other one is singular. Compare:

Example

✓ The freshmen refused to attend their classes.

X The freshman refused to attend their classes.

As you can see, we have a plural pronoun and it cannot be used with a singular non.

Comments

(0)
Loading Recaptcha...
Share on :
books
Learn English VocabularyStart learning categorized English vocabulary on Langeek.
Click to start
LanGeek
Download LanGeek app