The word safe can describe something secure, or it can be a noun referring to a strong metal box used to protect valuable items. But what happens when you need to talk about more than one? Should you say safes or saves? This short guide will show you the correct plural of safe, explain the meaning, and give you simple examples to help you remember.
Definition and Plural of Safe
What Does “Safe” Mean?
The word safe has two common uses in English — as an adjective and as a noun. The plural form only applies when safe is a noun.
1. Safe (as an adjective)
Means “protected” or “not in danger.”
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Example: The children are safe at home.
➡️ (Adjectives don’t have plural forms.)
2. Safe (as a noun)
Means “a strong metal box” used to keep money, jewelry, or important documents protected.
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Example: The company keeps cash in a safe.
What Is the Plural of “Safe”?
The correct plural of safe is safes.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| safe | safes |
This is a regular plural noun, which means you simply add -s to the end of the word.
Examples:
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The bank has several safes for customer deposits.
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I bought two new safes for the office.
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Thieves tried to open all the safes but failed.
Pronunciation Guide
| Word | IPA Pronunciation | How It Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| safe | /seɪf/ | “sayf” |
| safes | /seɪfs/ | “sayfs” |
Examples in Sentences
Singular: “Safe”
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The money is locked in a safe.
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We bought a new safe for our house.
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The safe is made of heavy steel.
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She forgot the password to her safe.
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The jewels were kept in a hidden safe.
Plural: “Safes”
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The bank uses digital safes for storage.
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Several safes were found in the old building.
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The hotel provides personal safes for guests.
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All the safes are protected by an alarm system.
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Police officers opened two safes during the investigation.
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with safe or safes.
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The bank has several ______ for customer valuables.
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We need to buy another ______ for the office.
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The money is stored in three ______.
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This ______ is large enough for important documents.
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The hotel provides small ______ in every room.
Answer:
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safes
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safe
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safes
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safe
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safes
Exercise 2: Choose the correct sentence.
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a) The jewelry is locked in two safes. ✅
b) The jewelry is locked in two saves. -
a) The company installed a new safe. ✅
b) The company installed a new safes. -
a) All the safes are password-protected. ✅
b) All the saves are password-protected. -
a) The documents were stored in a hidden safe. ✅
b) The documents were stored in a hidden safes. -
a) Police opened three safes during the raid. ✅
b) Police opened three saves during the raid.