If you’ve ever written luzs, cruzs, or pezs, don’t worry! You’re not the only one who’s stumbled over Spanish’s tricky little z. When a word ends in “z”, you can’t just add an s like you do in other cases. There’s a special rule you need to know… and with MaestroMío you’ll learn it in the simplest way: it’s easier than it seems.
Bonus: At the end of this article, there’s a quick and fun exercise to check whether the z makes you go zzzzzz (sleep) or shine!
What do I do with the “z” when making the plural?
Easy:
Change the “z” to “c” and add -es.
Yes, that simple. The letter “z” doesn’t get along with “e”, so it turns into a “c” to follow Spanish spelling rules. Linguistic diplomacy at its finest!
Examples:
| Singular | Plural |
| luz | luces |
| pez | peces |
| cruz | cruces |
| voz | voces |
| raíz | raíces |
In context:
- Encendí todas las luces del salón.
(I turned on all the lights in the living room.) - Vi muchos peces de colores en el acuario.
(I saw many colorful fish in the aquarium.) - Las cruces del mapa marcan el lugar del tesoro.
(The crosses on the map mark the treasure spot.)
Why does the “z” change to “c”?
Very simple: in Spanish, the letter “z” can’t be followed by “e” or “i” in words that follow general spelling rules.
That’s why when we form the plural with -es, the “z” magically transforms into a “c”.
Spelling abracadabra!
- voz + es = vozes ❌
- voz → voces ✅
- pez + es = pezes ❌
- pez → peces ✅
Watch out! There are exceptions
As in every good grammar story, there are a few special cases:
Proper names (like surnames):
They don’t change. Ever.
✅ los Ramírez
✅ los González
✅ los Chávez
❌ los Ramíreces ❌ los Gonzáleces → No, please!
Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
Here are some classic pitfalls, so you can skip the embarrassment:
❌ Mistake: just adding “-s”
luzs, pezs, cruzs → Incorrect!
✅ Correct: change the “z” to “c” and then add “-es”
luces, peces, cruces → That’s it!
Bonus: Want to try this mini exercise?
Write the correct plural form of these words ending in “z”:
- voz → __________
- pez → __________
- cruz → __________
- lápiz → __________
- nariz → __________
Answers (scroll down only if you’ve tried):
- voces
- peces
- cruces
- lápices
- narices
