If you are wondering whether attornies or attorneys is correct, the answer is attorneys. Attornies is a misspelling. The singular form is attorney, and the correct plural is attorneys. You keep the y and simply add s.
This spelling can be confusing because English has a familiar rule in which some words ending in y change to ies when they become plural. For example, city becomes cities, and party becomes parties. However, that rule does not apply to attorney because the letter before the y is a vowel.
Knowing this small difference can help you avoid a common spelling mistake in school assignments, workplace emails, legal writing, blog posts, and everyday communication. This guide explains the difference between attorneys and attornies, shows how to use the correct form in sentences, and covers related forms such as attorney’s, attorneys’, and attorneys general.
What Does Attorney Mean?
An attorney is a lawyer or legal professional. In everyday American English, the words attorney and lawyer are commonly used to refer to someone who practices law.
When you are talking about one lawyer, use attorney.
She hired an attorney to review the agreement.
When you are talking about two or more lawyers, use attorneys.
She spoke with several attorneys about the agreement.
The meaning of the word does not change when it becomes plural. The only change is the number of people being discussed.
The word attorney can appear in many different legal contexts. You might hear about a criminal defense attorney, family law attorney, personal injury attorney, business attorney, or another type of legal professional. The specific role depends on the area of law and the person’s professional responsibilities.
For spelling purposes, the important point is simple:
attorney = one
attorneys = more than one
Attornies or Attorneys: Why Is Attorneys Correct?
The correct spelling is attorneys because attorney ends with a vowel followed by y.
The spelling pattern is:
attorney + s = attorneys
The y does not change.
This is different from words that end with a consonant followed by y. Those words often change the y to ies when pluralized.
| Singular | Plural | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| attorney | attorneys | vowel + y |
| boy | boys | vowel + y |
| key | keys | vowel + y |
| city | cities | consonant + y |
| party | parties | consonant + y |
| family | families | consonant + y |
So although attornies may look reasonable at first, it does not follow the spelling pattern used for attorney.
The Easy Rule to Remember
Look at the letter directly before the y.
In attorney, it is e.
Since e is a vowel, keep the y and add s:
attorney → attorneys
This is the same basic pattern found in words such as:
key → keys
boy → boys
toy → toys
That makes attorneys the correct form.
Attorney vs. Attorneys
The difference between attorney and attorneys is simply singular versus plural.
| Word | Number | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Attorney | One | The attorney called the client. |
| Attorneys | More than one | The attorneys called the clients. |
Use attorney when one lawyer is involved.
The attorney prepared the documents.
Use attorneys when there are multiple lawyers.
The attorneys prepared the documents.
The same distinction applies regardless of the type of legal work being discussed.
Examples of Attorneys in Sentences
Seeing the correct spelling in different situations can make it easier to remember.
Example 1
The attorneys reviewed the contract before signing.
Here, attorneys refers to multiple lawyers.
Example 2
Several attorneys attended the meeting.
Because several lawyers attended, the plural form is required.
Example 3
The company hired two attorneys to handle the matter.
The word two makes it clear that the plural form is needed.
Example 4
The attorneys discussed the case with their clients.
The sentence refers to more than one lawyer.
Example 5
Experienced attorneys may work in many different areas of law.
Here, attorneys refers to lawyers generally.
Example 6
The attorneys prepared their documents before the hearing.
Again, the plural form is attorneys, not attornies.
Attorney’s vs. Attorneys’
Another common source of confusion is the difference between attorney’s and attorneys’. Both forms are correct, but they serve different grammatical purposes.
Attorney’s
Attorney’s is the singular possessive form. It refers to something belonging to or associated with one attorney.
The attorney’s office was closed.
The sentence refers to the office of one attorney.
Attorneys‘
Attorneys’ is the plural possessive form. It refers to something belonging to or associated with multiple attorneys.
The attorneys’ offices were closed.
The sentence refers to the offices of multiple attorneys.
| Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| attorney | One lawyer | The attorney arrived. |
| attorneys | Multiple lawyers | The attorneys arrived. |
| attorney’s | Possession by one attorney | The attorney’s office is nearby. |
| attorneys’ | Possession by multiple attorneys | The attorneys’ offices are nearby. |
Remember that an apostrophe does not make attorney plural. The ordinary plural is simply attorneys.
Attorneys General: A Different Plural Form
One related expression that often causes confusion is attorney general.
When you are talking about more than one attorney general, the usual plural form is attorneys general.
For example:
Several attorneys general attended the conference.
The forms are:
Singular: attorney general
Plural: attorneys general
This may seem unusual because general appears after attorney, but the word being pluralized is attorney.
This is different from the ordinary plural:
attorney → attorneys
and it should not be confused with attornies, which is simply an incorrect spelling.
Attorney at Law vs. Attorneys at Law
You may also encounter the phrase attorney at law.
When referring to more than one person, the plural form is attorneys at law.
For example:
The firm employs several attorneys at law.
The important part for spelling is still attorneys.
In everyday conversation, people often simply use attorney or lawyer, depending on the context.
Common Uses of the Word Attorneys
The plural attorneys can be used in many situations involving multiple lawyers.
Legal cases
The attorneys presented their arguments during the hearing.
Business
The company’s attorneys reviewed the proposed agreement.
Family matters
The attorneys discussed the legal options with their clients.
Criminal cases
Defense attorneys examined the evidence.
Workplace communication
The attorneys will meet with the management team tomorrow.
General conversation
She spoke with several attorneys before making a decision.
In all of these examples, attorneys is the correct plural spelling.
Common Mistakes With Attorneys
The most frequent mistake is writing attornies instead of attorneys.
Mistake 1: Using Attornies as the Plural
Incorrect:
The attornies reviewed the documents.
Correct:
The attorneys reviewed the documents.
The word may look as though it should follow the same pattern as parties or cities, but it does not.
Mistake 2: Thinking Every Word Ending in Y Becomes IES
Not every word ending in y changes to ies.
Compare:
party → parties
with:
attorney → attorneys
The letter before the y determines which pattern applies.
Mistake 3: Using Attorney’s as a Plural
Incorrect:
Three attorney’s attended the meeting.
Correct:
Three attorneys attended the meeting.
The apostrophe in attorney’s indicates possession or a contraction in other contexts. It does not normally create a plural.
Mistake 4: Writing Attorney Generals
When referring to more than one person with the title attorney general, use:
attorneys general
rather than:
attorney generals
Understanding these related forms can make legal and professional writing much more accurate.
How to Remember Attorneys Easily
If you regularly forget whether the correct spelling is attornies or attorneys, remember one simple idea:
Vowel + Y usually keeps the Y.
The word attorney has e + y at the end.
So:
attorney → attorneys
Compare it with:
city → cities
The word city has a consonant, t, immediately before the y, so its spelling changes.
You can also remember the pattern using familiar words:
key → keys
boy → boys
toy → toys
attorney → attorneys
This makes the correct spelling easier to recall without memorizing the entire word separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is attornies a correct spelling?
No. Attornies is not the correct plural spelling of attorney. The correct form is attorneys.
What is the plural of attorney?
The plural of attorney is attorneys. Keep the y and add s.
Why is it attorneys instead of attornies?
The word attorney ends in a vowel followed by y. Because of this spelling pattern, the y remains and s is added.
Is attorney the same as lawyer?
In common American English, attorney and lawyer are often used to refer to the same type of legal professional. The exact terminology can depend on the legal context.
Is attorney’s correct?
Yes. Attorney’s is correct when you need the singular possessive form.
For example:
The attorney’s office is on Main Street.
Is attorneys’ correct?
Yes. Attorneys’ is the plural possessive form.
For example:
The attorneys’ offices are on different floors.
What is the plural of attorney general?
The plural form is attorneys general.
For example:
Several attorneys general participated in the discussion.
How can I remember the spelling of attorneys?
Remember this pattern:
attorney + s = attorneys
The y stays because it follows the vowel e.
Conclusion
When choosing between attornies or attorneys, always use attorneys when you mean more than one lawyer. Attornies is a spelling mistake, even though it may look correct because many words ending in consonant plus y change to ies in their plural forms.
The easiest way to remember the correct spelling is to look at the ending of attorney. Because it ends in vowel plus y, the y stays and you simply add s:
attorney → attorneys
Also keep the related forms straight: attorney’s is the singular possessive, attorneys’ is the plural possessive, and attorneys general is the plural of attorney general. With these simple rules, you can confidently use attorneys in professional, academic, and everyday writing.
Ruskin Bond, author at SeekIdiom, explains English idioms through simple meanings and examples, helping learners improve vocabulary and everyday usage.
