Freshmen or Freshman? What's the Difference?

When talking about first-year students, especially in high school or college, we often use the terms freshmen and freshman. While they sound almost identical and are sometimes used interchangeably, there are important distinctions between the two. Understanding when to use freshman and when to use freshmen can help you communicate more clearly and avoid common grammatical mistakes.

In this article, we will explore the difference between freshman and freshmen, provide examples of correct usage, and offer practice questions with answers to help solidify your understanding.

Basic Definitions: Freshman vs. Freshmen

Freshman (Singular)

Freshman is a singular noun that refers to one first-year student, typically in high school or college. It is used to describe an individual who is in their first year of study.

Examples:
She is a freshman at Harvard University.
My brother is a freshman in high school.

He made a lot of new friends during his freshman year.

In these examples, freshman refers to one person, emphasizing that it is singular.

Freshmen (Plural)

Freshmen is the plural form of freshman. It refers to a group of first-year students, meaning more than one. When talking about multiple people in their first year, freshmen is the correct term to use.

Examples:
The freshmen at the university are excited about orientation.
All the freshmen gathered in the auditorium for an assembly.

The school’s freshmen class is larger than last year’s.

In these examples, freshmen refers to a group of first-year students, indicating that the word is plural.

Quick Summary

Freshman = Singular (one first-year student)

Freshmen = Plural (a group of first-year students)

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Because freshman and freshmen are so similar in both spelling and pronunciation, it’s easy to mix them up. However, they are not interchangeable. Let’s look at some common mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Using freshman when referring to more than one student

Incorrect:
All the freshman are excited about starting high school.

Correct:
All the freshmen are excited about starting high school.
Explanation: Since we are talking about multiple first-year students, the correct term is freshmen (plural).

2. Using freshmen when referring to a single student

Incorrect:
She is a freshmen in college this year.

Correct:
She is a freshman in college this year.
Explanation: We are referring to one individual, so the singular form freshman should be used.

3. Confusing the two in compound phrases

Sometimes, freshman and freshmen are used as part of compound phrases like freshman year or freshmen students. The rule for choosing the correct form still applies: use freshman for singular references and freshmen for plural ones.

Correct:
Freshman year is an exciting time for students.
(Here, freshman year refers to the first year itself, not to a group of students.)
Incorrect:
Freshmen year is an exciting time for students.
(The term freshmen is plural, but we’re referring to only one year, so this is incorrect.)

Freshman as an Adjective

Interestingly, freshman can also be used as an adjective to describe something related to first-year students. In this case, freshman stays in its singular form, even if it is describing something that involves multiple students.

Examples:
The freshman class is going on a field trip.
(Here, freshman is an adjective describing the class.)
There is a new freshman dorm on campus.

Freshman orientation will start next week.

In these examples, freshman is used as an adjective to describe a singular entity (class, dorm), even though there may be many students involved.

Freshmen as a Noun

On the other hand, freshmen is only used as a plural noun and cannot function as an adjective. This is important to remember to avoid confusion.

Incorrect:
The freshmen team won the game.
(Freshmen cannot be used as an adjective.)
Correct:
The freshman team won the game.

Usage in British English vs. American English

While both freshman and freshmen are widely used in American English, British English does not commonly use these terms. In the U.K., first-year students are usually referred to as “first-year students” or simply “first-years.”

Examples:
He is a first-year student at Oxford University.
(British English)
She is a freshman at Yale University.
(American English)

If you’re writing for a British audience, it’s better to avoid freshman and freshmen and use “first-year student” instead.

Examples of Correct Usage

Let’s explore more examples to see how freshman and freshmen are used correctly in various contexts.

**Examples of Freshman (Singular)**

He is a freshman majoring in biology.

I was nervous during my freshman year of high school.
She’s the best freshman on the basketball team.
My daughter is a freshman at the local community college.

The freshman orientation will be held next Tuesday.

**Examples of Freshmen (Plural)**

The freshmen gathered in the stadium for the pep rally.
All the freshmen were excited to start their first day of college.

The dorm is exclusively for freshmen students.
Freshmen are required to take introductory courses during their first year.
The freshmen class is smaller than it was last year.

Practice Questions

Let’s test your understanding with some practice questions.

Question 1:

Which sentence is correct?

a) The freshman are all attending the orientation.

b) The freshmen are all attending the orientation.

Answer:
b) The freshmen are all attending the orientation.

Explanation: Since we are talking about more than one first-year student, the plural form freshmen is correct.

Question 2:

Choose the correct form (freshman or freshmen):

She is a _ at Stanford University.

Answer:
She is a freshman at Stanford University.

Explanation: Since we are referring to one student, the singular form freshman is correct here.

Question 3:

True or False:
Freshman can be used as both a noun and an adjective.

Answer:
True.

Explanation: Freshman can be used as a singular noun to refer to one first-year student and as an adjective to describe something related to first-year students (e.g., freshman class).

Question 4:

Which sentence is correct?

a) The freshman class is going on a trip.

b) The freshmen class is going on a trip.

Answer:
a) The freshman class is going on a trip.

Explanation: In this case, freshman is used as an adjective to describe the class. Since adjectives do not change for plural nouns, freshman is the correct form here.

Question 5:

Fill in the blank with the correct form (freshman or freshmen):

The _ were excited to attend their first college party.

Answer:
The freshmen were excited to attend their first college party.

Explanation: We are talking about a group of first-year students, so the plural form freshmen is correct.

Conclusion

The difference between freshman and freshmen is simple but critical.

Freshman is singular and refers to one first-year student.

Freshmen is plural and refers to a group of first-year students.

Additionally, freshman can be used as an adjective, while freshmen is only used as a plural noun. Understanding this distinction will help you avoid common errors and use these terms correctly in both speech and writing.

By paying attention to context and practicing with examples, you can master the usage of freshman and freshmen and improve your grammar and communication skills.

Freshmen or Freshman? What’s the Difference?