Practice
Hair or hairs: countable noun choices
I need to wash my hair before work. I found two hairs on my jacket. The spelling changes because the speaker is talking about hair in general in the first sentence and separate strands in the second.
Choose hair for the substance or a person's hair in general, and choose hairs when you mean separate strands or distinct kinds.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
hair and hairs /hɛr/ and /hɛrz/
The short answer
Use hair for hair in general: She has dark hair. Use hairs for individual strands: There are three hairs in the sink. You can also use hairs for kinds of animal hair or hair used in scientific descriptions.
He brushed his hair before the interview.
Why it works: Hair means all the hair on his head, not separate strands.
5 more examples
-
Her hair looks different after the haircut.
The sentence refers to her hair as a whole.
Not this:
Two hairswere caught in the comb. What changes: The speaker can count the separate strands. -
My brother has thick, curly hair.
Hair describes a general feature of his appearance.
Not this:
A curly hairwas stuck to the sleeve. What changes: One visible strand is being identified. -
Please keep your hair away from the paint.
The listener's hair is treated as one general mass.
Not this:The technician removed
several hairsfrom the sample. What changes: Several individual strands are counted. -
The salon sells products for dry hair.
Dry hair is a condition, so hair is uncountable here.
Not this:The lab compared
rabbit hairsunder a microscope. What changes: The sentence discusses individual animal hairs as objects of comparison. -
The actor dyed her hair copper red.
The color applies to her hair in general.
Not this:I noticed
a few gray hairsnear my temple. What changes: The speaker notices separate gray strands.
Read the full guide
When you describe someone's hairstyle, color, length, or condition, hair is normally the word you need. Say My hair is wet or Her hair is very short. The plural hairs appears when the speaker notices, counts, collects, or compares individual strands.
Describe hair as a whole
Use hair when you mean all the hair on someone's head or body. This is the usual choice for color, length, texture, and care. Even though a head has many strands, English treats them as one amount in this meaning.
Rina has straight black hair.
Straight black describes Rina's hair in general. It does not count individual strands.
Choose the noun: I washed my ___ after the gym.
Use hair. You are talking about your hair as a whole.
Count separate strands
Use a hair for one strand and hairs for more than one strand. This often happens when a strand is on clothing, in a brush, or somewhere it should not be. A number, several, or a few usually signals this countable meaning.
There is a hair on the restaurant menu.
The article a shows that the speaker means one separate strand.
Choose the noun: I found four ___ in the drain.
Use hairs because four tells you to count individual strands.
Use hair with appearance words
When you talk about a hairstyle or a general quality, use hair. Common phrases include long hair, brown hair, damaged hair, and hair care. You can also say a hairdresser cut your hair.
His hair is getting longer.
The sentence describes the length of all his hair, so hairs would sound unnatural.
Which word fits? She bought shampoo for colored ___.
Use hair. Colored hair is a general appearance and care description.
Notice special uses of hairs
Hairs can also mean distinct kinds or individual animal hairs, especially in technical descriptions. This use is less common in everyday conversation, but it follows the same idea: the writer treats the hairs as separate objects.
The report identified dog hairs on the blanket.
The report deals with individual hairs that can be identified and compared.
Why is hairs possible in a description of evidence from an animal?
The writer means separate strands or fibers, not an animal's coat as a whole.
Make the choice from meaning
Before you choose, ask one question: am I describing hair in general, or am I pointing to countable strands? That question works better than counting the strands that a person has. The sentence meaning decides the noun.
I found three hairs on the bathroom floor, but my hair is still wet.
Three hairs are separate strands. My hair means the speaker's hair in general.
What should you ask if you are unsure whether to write hair or hairs?
Ask whether the sentence means hair as a whole or separate strands that you can count.
Before you go
Remember this
Use hair for a person's hair, a hairstyle, or hair as a material. Use a hair or hairs for one strand or several separate strands. Check whether you are describing the whole amount or counting pieces.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Hair or hairs: countable noun choices"
Is hair countable or uncountable?
Hair is usually uncountable when you mean the hair on a person's head or hair as a substance. Say Her hair is curly or I need to wash my hair. It becomes countable when you mean one strand or several separate strands, as in a hair on the pillow or two hairs in a comb.
Her hair looks different after the haircut.
Why do we say long hair, not long hairs?
Use long hair when you describe a person's appearance or hairstyle in general. The person has many strands, but English treats that amount as hair. Use long hairs only when you need to point out individual strands, such as long hairs caught in a brush.
Two hairs were caught in the comb.
Can I say a hair?
Yes. A hair means one individual strand. You might say there is a hair on my coat or I found a hair in the sink. Do not use a hair when you mean all the hair on someone's head. In that general meaning, use hair without an article.
My brother has thick, curly hair.
When can I use hairs for animals?
Use hairs when you mean individual animal hairs that can be counted, collected, or examined. For example, a report may compare rabbit hairs from different places. When you mean an animal's coat in general, use hair or fur according to the meaning you want.
A curly hair was stuck to the sleeve.
How can I choose between hair and hairs?
Ask whether the sentence describes hair as a whole or names strands you can count. Use hair for a hairstyle, color, texture, or care routine. Use hairs with a number or when the separate strands themselves matter, such as hairs on a towel.
Please keep your hair away from the paint.