Attorneys or Attornies: Which Is Correct? Simple Rule

You typed “attornies,” and your spellcheck drew a red line under it. The red line is right: the correct plural is attorneys.

This mistake is common, and it makes sense. Smart writers make it all the time. You learned that “baby” becomes “babies” and “city” becomes “cities.”

So your brain applies the same rule to “attorney.” But that rule only works after a consonant.

In this guide, you will see the simple rule behind “attorneys.” You will get a memory trick, real example sentences, apostrophe tips, and answers for tricky terms like “attorneys general.”

By the end, you will not second-guess this word again.

Quick Answer

Attorneys is the correct plural of attorney. Attornies is a spelling mistake. The word ends in a vowel plus y (e + y), so you only add an s. Do not change the y to i. The same rule gives us keys, days, and boys.

⚡ Quick Rule in 1 Line

Vowel before the y, just add s: boys, keys, attorneys. Consonant before it, use ies.

What Is the Difference Between Attornies and Attorneys?

There is no difference in meaning. Attorneys is the correct spelling of the plural. Attornies is a misspelling that comes from a rule that does not apply here. Use attorneys every time you mean more than one attorney.

Merriam-Webster lists “attorneys” as the plural of attorney. It does not list “attornies.”

The singular word means a person appointed to act for another person. Most often, it means a lawyer.

The word is old. It entered English in the 1300s, from the Anglo-French word aturné. Its ending has always been “-ney,” not “-ny.”

So the choice is simple. One attorney, two attorneys. There is no second option.

Read More: Color or Colour? The Correct Spelling in American and British English

The Grammar Rule Behind “Attorneys”

Look at the letter before the final y. If it is a vowel (a, e, i, o, u), add s. If it is a consonant, change y to i and add es. In attorney, the letter before y is e, so you add s.

Here is the rule in three quick steps:

1. Find the last letter of the word. For attorney, it is y.
2. Look at the letter right before it. For attorney, it is e, a vowel.
3. Add s and leave the y alone. You get attorneys.

Grammarly and APA Style teach this same rule. APA puts it plainly: do not change y to ies when a vowel comes before the y.

Why So Many People Get It Wrong

The y-to-ies rule is one of the first spelling rules we learn. It works for hundreds of words, so we trust it.

The trouble is that “attorney” sounds like it ends in a soft “-nee” sound. That sound looks like “baby” or “penny.” But the spelling tells a different story.

Look at the “-ney” ending. Many common words share it:

• journey → journeys
• monkey → monkeys
• kidney → kidneys
• chimney → chimneys
• turkey → turkeys

No one writes “journies” or “monkies.” Attorney belongs to this same family.

Attorneys vs Attornies Comparison Table: Add S or Change to IES?

Words ending in a vowel plus y add only s. Words ending in a consonant plus y change to ies. This table puts attorney next to look-alike words, so you can see the pattern at a glance.

Singular	Letter Before Y	Rule	Correct Plural
attorney	e (vowel)	Add s	attorneys ✅
journey	e (vowel)	Add s	journeys ✅
monkey	e (vowel)	Add s	monkeys ✅
key	e (vowel)	Add s	keys ✅
boy	o (vowel)	Add s	boys ✅
day	a (vowel)	Add s	days ✅
baby	b (consonant)	Change y to ies	babies ✅
city	t (consonant)	Change y to ies	cities ✅
story	r (consonant)	Change y to ies	stories ✅
lady	d (consonant)	Change y to ies	ladies ✅

Now compare the wrong form. “Attornies” treats attorney like “baby.” But the letter before the y is e, not a consonant. That is why it fails.

An Easy Memory Trick

Use the “E guards the Y” trick. In attorney, the letter e sits right before the y and protects it. Because the y is protected, it cannot turn into i. You just add s.

Here are two more tricks. Pick the one that sticks for you.

Trick 1: The -ney family. Say the words together: journey, monkey, kidney, attorney. They all end in “-ney.” They all add just s.

Trick 2: The journey test. Not sure about the spelling? Swap in “journey.” You would write “two journeys,” not “two journies.” So write “two attorneys.”

Attorneys or Attornies: Is There a US vs UK Difference?

No. Attorneys is spelled the same in American and British English. The real difference is usage. Americans use attorney for a licensed lawyer. In the UK, people usually say solicitor or barrister instead.

This makes attorneys a little different from words like color and colour. There is no spelling split to memorize here.

In the UK, you will still see “attorney” in set phrases. “Power of attorney” and “Attorney General” are two common ones.

So if you write for a US audience, use attorney and attorneys with confidence. Just remember the plural spelling is the same everywhere.

18 Example Sentences Attornies or Attorneys

These sentences show attorneys in real situations. Notice that each plural adds only s to attorney. The examples are grouped by use, so you can match them to your own writing, from courtrooms to emails to business documents.

Court and Legal

1. The two attorneys met with the judge before the trial began.
2. Defense attorneys asked for more time to review the evidence.
3. Several attorneys from the firm signed the brief.
4. The county hired three new prosecuting attorneys this year.
5. Both attorneys agreed to settle the case.
6. The bar association trains attorneys on new court rules.

Everyday

7. My sister and brother are both attorneys.
8. We called two attorneys before we found one we trusted.
9. Do attorneys really charge by the hour?
10. The attorneys’ offices are on the third floor.
11. I asked my attorney’s assistant to send the form.
12. Many attorneys now work from home.

Professional and Business

13. Our team works with corporate attorneys on every contract.
14. Please send the draft to our outside attorneys by Friday.
15. The attorneys general of several states sent a joint letter.
16. Young attorneys often start their careers at small firms.
17. The firm lists its attorneys at law on its website.
18. Two powers of attorney were signed on the same day.

Tricky Plurals: Attorneys General, Attorneys at Law, Powers of Attorney

In longer terms, pluralize the main noun and leave the describing words alone. That gives attorneys general, attorneys at law, and powers of attorney. In each case, the plural s goes on the main noun, not on the end of the phrase.

• Attorney general → attorneys general. “Attorney” is the main noun. “General” describes what kind. LawProse, a legal writing resource, calls “attorney generals” an error. It also notes the error has become widespread.
• Attorney at law → attorneys at law. The phrase “at law” is a describing phrase. It does not change. “Attorneys at laws” is wrong.
• Attorney-in-fact → attorneys-in-fact. Same logic. The main noun takes the s.
• Power of attorney → powers of attorney. Here the main noun is “power,” so it takes the s. “Attorney” stays singular.
• District attorney → district attorneys. This one is easy. “Attorney” is the last word, so it takes the s.

Common Mistakes

Most errors come from three habits: changing y to i by reflex, adding an apostrophe to a plain plural, and mixing up the plural with the possessive. Here are the mistakes to watch for, each with a quick fix.

1. ❌ attornies → ✅ attorneys The y stays because a vowel comes before it.
2. ❌ The attorney’s argued all day. → ✅ The attorneys argued all day. An apostrophe does not make a word plural. It shows ownership or a missing letter.
3. ❌ The attorneys’s fees → ✅ The attorneys’ fees When a plural already ends in s, add only the apostrophe.
4. ❌ attorney generals → ✅ attorneys general Pluralize the main noun, not the describing word.
5. ❌ attorneys at laws → ✅ attorneys at law “At law” never changes.
6. ❌ attorny → ✅ attorney Check the middle. It is a-t-t-o-r-n-e-y, with two t’s and the e before the y.

When to Use Each Form

Use attorney for one person, attorneys for more than one, attorney’s for something one attorney owns, and attorneys’ for something several attorneys own. Never use attornies. This quick guide shows each form in action.

Form	Meaning	Example
attorney	One person	I met with an attorney.
attorneys	More than one person	I met with two attorneys.
attorney’s	Belongs to one attorney	The attorney’s office closed early.
attorneys’	Belongs to many attorneys	The attorneys’ fees were high.
attornies	Never correct	Avoid this form.

The apostrophe trips up many writers. If you want a deeper look, see the Its vs It’s guide listed below.

Key Takeaways

• Attorneys is the only correct plural. Attornies is a spelling error.
• The rule: vowel + y, add s. Consonant + y, change y to ies.
• Attorney ends in e + y, so it follows the vowel rule.
• Use the -ney family as a memory aid: journeys, monkeys, attorneys.
• There is no US vs UK spelling difference for this word.
• Pluralize the main noun: attorneys general, attorneys at law, powers of attorney.
• Use attorney’s for one owner and attorneys’ for many.

FAQs

1. Is it attornies or attorneys?

Attorneys is correct. Attornies is a spelling mistake. The y in attorney follows a vowel (e), so the plural only adds s.

2. What is the plural of attorney?

The plural of attorney is attorneys. Merriam-Webster lists it as the plural form. Add s and keep the y.

3. Why isn’t attorney spelled attornies, like baby and babies?

Baby ends in a consonant plus y. Attorney ends in a vowel plus y. The change from y to ies only happens after a consonant. Compare journey and journeys.

4. Is attornies ever correct?

No. Not in modern English. Wiktionary lists an old variant, “attorny,” with the plural “attornies.” It labels that old form as obsolete and not recommended. Do not use it.

5. What is the plural of attorney general?

The plural is attorneys general. Pluralize “attorney,” not “general.” You may see “attorney generals” in print. Legal writing experts at LawProse treat it as an error.

6. What is the plural of attorney at law?

The plural is attorneys at law. The words “at law” stay the same. Never write “attorneys at laws.”

7. What is the plural of power of attorney?

The plural is powers of attorney. The main noun is “power,” so it takes the s. “Attorney” stays singular.

8. How do you write the possessive of attorneys?

For one attorney, write attorney’s. For more than one, write attorneys’. Put the apostrophe after the s. Example: “The attorneys’ meeting ran long.”

9. Is attorneys spelled differently in British English?

No. The spelling is the same. The word is used less in the UK, where people often say solicitor or barrister. You will still see it in terms like power of attorney.

10. Are attorney and lawyer the same thing?

Merriam-Webster defines attorney as a person appointed to act for another, especially a lawyer. In everyday writing, people use both words for a licensed legal professional.

Conclusion:

The right plural is attorneys. Attornies is a mistake that comes from the baby-to-babies rule, which only works after a consonant.

Because attorney ends in e plus y, you add s and keep the y.

Remember the -ney family: journeys, monkeys, attorneys. For longer terms, pluralize the main noun: attorneys general, attorneys at law, powers of attorney.

Check your apostrophes too: attorney’s for one, attorneys’ for many.