Freshman vs. Freshmen

Ladies and gentlemen, let's begin our journey. This time, we're gonna discuss the slight differences between these two words.

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:

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:

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:

✓ 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.

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