Dos or do’s is a small spelling question that can cause a surprisingly big pause. If you’re writing about rules, recommendations, habits, or things people should remember, you may wonder whether the correct form is dos, do’s, or even do’s with an apostrophe.
The confusion makes sense because apostrophes sometimes appear in English plurals and possessives, but they do not always belong where we expect them.
In most modern English writing, dos is the preferred plural of do when you mean things that are recommended or should be done. For example, a guide might list the “dos and don’ts” of workplace etiquette.
Here, dos simply means multiple recommended actions. The apostrophe in do’s is an older or less preferred spelling in many style guides, although you may still encounter it in published writing.
Understanding the difference is useful because dos and don’ts appears frequently in articles, instructions, advice, presentations, and everyday communication. Once you know why the apostrophe is usually unnecessary, this little grammar puzzle becomes much easier to handle and you can write your next list with confidence.
Dos is the standard plural spelling of the noun do, especially in the expression “dos and don’ts.” Do’s is also an accepted variant in some dictionaries and is sometimes used for readability. The apostrophe is not needed to make a normal plural, so dos and don’ts is generally the cleaner choice.
Quick Answer:
If you mean things that should be done, use:
dos and don’ts
For example:
The guide explains the dos and don’ts of job interviews.
You will also see:
The guide explains the do’s and don’ts of job interviews.
That second version is not an invented spelling. Dictionaries such as Oxford and Cambridge recognize do’s as a variant.
Still, there is an important distinction between dictionary acceptance and style preference.
Many modern style approaches avoid apostrophes when simply making a noun plural. The Chicago Manual of Style, for instance, lists dos and don’ts.
So, if you need one practical recommendation for ordinary writing:
Choose “dos and don’ts.”
What Does “Dos” Mean?
In dos and don’ts, the word dos is the plural noun form of do.
Here, do does not function as a verb.
Instead, it means an action that is recommended, appropriate, or expected.
For example:
Here are the dos and don’ts of professional email writing.
The dos are the things you should do.
The don’ts are the things you should not do.
Cambridge defines dos and don’ts as rules about actions or activities that people should or should not perform.
Common uses
You might see the expression in:
- workplace guidelines
- classroom rules
- travel advice
- etiquette guides
- health and safety instructions
- writing advice
- social situations
- technology instructions
- event guidelines
For example:
The hotel gave guests a list of dos and don’ts.
She learned the dos and don’ts of interview etiquette.
Before posting online, review the dos and don’ts.
In all these sentences, dos means recommended actions or rules.
Why Is “Do’s” Used?
The spelling do’s exists largely because dos can look confusing.
At first glance, dos may resemble:
- the acronym DOS
- a foreign-language word
- a typo
- another unrelated term
Adding an apostrophe makes the noun visually clearer:
do’s
This is one reason the variant has remained common.
The Apostrophe Protection Society notes that dos and don’ts is technically the straightforward plural form, but also discusses do’s and don’ts as a readability-based alternative.
So the apostrophe in do’s is not functioning as a possessive marker.
It is being used in a special plural spelling.
That is unusual because English normally forms ordinary plurals without apostrophes.
Compare:
book → books
rule → rules
idea → ideas
do → dos
This is why many style guides prefer dos.
Is “Dos” Grammatically Correct?
Yes.
Dos is a recognized plural noun.
Both Merriam-Webster and Oxford list dos as a plural form of the noun do.
Oxford specifically gives:
plural dos, do’s
Merriam-Webster likewise lists dos or do’s for the noun.
That means you should not assume that dos is a typo simply because you are more accustomed to seeing do’s.
In fact, dos is the form preferred by some major style authorities.
The Chicago Manual of Style lists dos and don’ts among noun coinages that form their plurals with -s.
Is “Do’s” Grammatically Correct?
Do’s is also recognized, although its use is more style-dependent.
Oxford lists do’s as an alternative plural spelling, and Cambridge gives do’s and don’ts as an alternative to dos and don’ts.
So this sentence is understandable and accepted:
Here are five do’s for better communication.
However, if you are following a style guide that prefers regular plural formation, dos is the safer choice.
The important point is that do’s is not a possessive form in this context.
For example:
The do’s are important.
Here, do’s means multiple recommended actions.
It does not mean something belonging to a person named “do.”
Dos vs. Do’s at a Glance
| Form | Use | Status |
|---|---|---|
| dos | Plural noun meaning recommended actions | Preferred by some style guides |
| do’s | Alternative plural of do | Accepted by major dictionaries |
| do’s | Same as do’s, using a straight apostrophe | Common in ordinary typing |
| don’ts | Plural of don’t | Standard form |
| don’t’s | Attempts to add another plural apostrophe | Generally avoided |
| DOS | Usually an acronym or abbreviation | Different meaning |
The biggest takeaway is simple: dos and do’s can refer to the same thing, but dos is usually the cleaner modern choice for general writing.
Why “Don’ts” Keeps Its Apostrophe
This is where the phrase becomes especially interesting.
The word don’t contains an apostrophe because it is a contraction of do not.
The apostrophe represents omitted letters.
When you make don’t plural in the expression dos and don’ts, the apostrophe remains because it belongs to the contraction itself.
So:
do not → don’t
and:
don’t → don’ts
The apostrophe is therefore doing a different job in don’ts than the optional apostrophe does in do’s.
This explains why the standard expression is:
dos and don’ts
rather than:
do’s and don’t’s
The latter looks unnecessarily crowded and is generally avoided.
Dos and Don’ts: The Standard Expression
Dos and don’ts is an established expression meaning rules about what should and should not be done.
Cambridge, Collins, and Oxford all recognize the expression, with dictionaries also recording do’s and don’ts as an alternative form.
Here are some natural uses:
Learn the dos and don’ts before visiting the country.
The manager explained the dos and don’ts of workplace communication.
Parents often teach children the basic dos and don’ts of good manners.
The website includes a useful list of dos and don’ts.
The phrase works because the two words create a clear contrast:
dos = things to do
don’ts = things not to do
How to Use “Dos” in a Sentence
When do is being used as a noun meaning a recommended action, dos functions like an ordinary plural noun.
With “and don’ts”
The article covers the dos and don’ts of social media.
As a standalone plural
We discussed several dos before the event.
After “the”
She knows the dos of professional networking.
The last construction is grammatically possible, but dos and don’ts is much more natural in everyday English.
In many situations, writers will simply say:
recommended practices
or:
things you should do
if they want to avoid the unusual-looking noun dos.
When “Do’s” May Be Useful
Although dos is generally cleaner, do’s can sometimes improve readability.
For instance, in a headline:
The Do’s and Don’ts of Resume Writing
The apostrophe makes the intended word immediately recognizable.
This is particularly useful when the surrounding text could make dos look ambiguous.
Some dictionaries explicitly recognize this spelling, so using do’s does not automatically make a sentence grammatically unacceptable.
The choice is therefore partly about style and readability, not simply right versus wrong.
When Not to Use “Do’s”
Do not automatically add an apostrophe whenever you see a word ending in o.
Apostrophes normally do not create ordinary English plurals.
For example:
😉photos
not:
photo’s
videos
not:
video’s
😉radios
👍not:
radio’s
The apostrophe in do’s is a special convention associated with this particular noun and phrase.
If your goal is consistent modern punctuation, dos and don’ts avoids the issue entirely.
Common Misunderstandings
“Dos” Is the Same as “Does”
No.
Dos and does are different words.
dos = plural noun meaning recommended actions
does = third-person singular form of the verb do
Compare:
The guide lists several dos and don’ts.
with:
She does her work carefully.
The pronunciation is also different.
Dos is pronounced like the plural of do, while does has the pronunciation normally heard in sentences such as “What does she do?”
“Do’s” Is Possessive
Not in do’s and don’ts.
There, do’s is being used as a plural noun.
A possessive construction would require a different context.
“Dos and Don’t’s” Is the Correct Matching Form
Generally, no.
The contraction already contains an apostrophe:
don’t
Adding another apostrophe to create don’t’s produces an awkward form that standard usage generally avoids.
That is why dos and don’ts is so useful: it preserves the contraction’s apostrophe without adding another one.
“Dos” Always Means Rules
No.
The noun do has several meanings.
Oxford also records do as an informal British noun meaning a party or social event, and as an informal North American noun referring to a person’s hairstyle.
For example:
We’re having a little do this weekend.
Here, do means a social event.
The plural can therefore be dos, but context determines the meaning.
Don’t Confuse “Dos” With “DOS”
Capitalization can change what readers understand.
dos in dos and don’ts is a lowercase plural noun.
DOS can refer to a computing term, such as Disk Operating System, depending on context.
Cambridge also lists DoS as an abbreviation for denial of service, a computing term describing an attack intended to prevent a network or website from functioning correctly.
So these are not interchangeable:
The article explains the dos and don’ts.
The website suffered a DoS attack.
The surrounding words and capitalization make the intended meaning clear.
Which One Should You Use in Professional Writing?
For most professional, educational, and general-purpose writing, dos and don’ts is a strong default.
It has several advantages:
- It follows ordinary plural formation.
- It avoids an unnecessary apostrophe.
- It matches the form recommended by some style authorities.
- It is recognized by major dictionaries.
- It keeps the contraction don’ts correctly punctuated.
However, if a publication, employer, or house style specifically uses do’s and don’ts, following that established style is reasonable.
There is no need to treat every occurrence of do’s as a serious grammatical error. Major dictionaries document it as an accepted variant.
Dos or Do’s: Practical Examples
Here is how the choice works in everyday writing:
Preferred general style:
Learn the dos and don’ts before starting the project.
Accepted alternative:
Learn the do’s and don’ts before starting the project.
Another natural sentence:
The instructor gave us a list of dos and don’ts.
Incorrect for this meaning:
The instructor gave us a list of do and don’t.
The plural form is needed because the sentence refers to multiple recommended and prohibited actions.
FAQs:
Is “dos” or “do’s” correct?
Both forms are found in reputable dictionaries. Dos is the regular plural spelling and is preferred by some style guides, while do’s is an accepted variant used partly for readability.
Is “dos and don’ts” grammatically correct?
Yes. Dos and don’ts is a standard English expression meaning the things people should and should not do. Cambridge and Oxford both recognize the phrase.
Should I write “do’s and don’ts”?
You can. Major dictionaries recognize do’s and don’ts as an alternative spelling. However, dos and don’ts is generally cleaner if you want to avoid using an apostrophe simply to form a plural.
Why does “don’ts” have an apostrophe?
Because don’t is a contraction of do not. The apostrophe shows that letters have been omitted. When the word becomes plural, the apostrophe remains: don’ts.
Is “do’s” possessive?
Not in the phrase do’s and don’ts. There, do’s is an alternative plural spelling of the noun do, not a possessive form.
What is the safest spelling for formal writing?
If you need one general-purpose choice, use dos and don’ts. It is dictionary-supported and aligns with style guidance that forms ordinary noun plurals without apostrophes.
Conclusion:
If you are choosing between dos and do’s, the simplest answer is:
Use “dos and don’ts” as your default.
Do’s and don’ts is also an established variant, so seeing it does not necessarily mean the writer has made a grammatical error. The difference is mainly one of spelling convention and style.
The apostrophe in don’ts is necessary because don’t is a contraction. The apostrophe in do’s, by contrast, is optional in the sense that dictionaries and style traditions differ about whether it should be used for this plural.
For clean, modern general writing:
dos and don’ts
is the straightforward choice.
