Spelling correctly: towels or towels?.

The wordtowelbelongs to the category of neuter nouns, which have the traditional variant forms of the genitive plural. According to the regularity of the use of such forms in speech, they are divided into three groups:

  1. with equal variants of the type drawbar - drawbar (from the noun drawbar), crafts - crafts (from the noun craft);
  2. with stylistic options, in which literary and colloquial vernacular forms are distinguished: backwoods - backwaters; drugs - drugs;
  3. with standard variants of the short form: saucer, trough, mirror.

The nountowelbelongs to the third group and in the genitive plural has the normative formtowels. The shapeof the towelsis colloquial; it is not used in the literary language.

The genitive plural form of some neuter nouns
The norm of the literary language Stylistic options Common language
towels-towels
saucers-saucers
mirrors-mirrors
hooveshooves
troughstroughs
tentacles-tentacles
pomacepomace
trousers-trousers
dusk-twilight

Spelling of the wordtowelsclosed captive by the rules for the formation of case forms of neuter nouns. Their violation leads to grammatical errors in writing and violation of literary norms of word use in speech.

Correct Incorrect
Choose fromtowelsare the softest for my baby. I'll take a coupletowels, a toothbrush - and go.

The matchmaking ended with the exchangeof towels.

This shelf in the closet is specially fortowels. Bought a bed set and a pairof towels.

I did not embroider himtowels.

TheDifference.ru gives the following recommendations on the use of case forms of towels and towels in speech:

  1. The nountowelin the genitive plural has the formof towels.
  2. The shapeof towelsdoes not apply to stylistic variants of word usage. It is colloquial and is not used in the literary language.
  3. Pronounce and write correctlytowels, nottowels.
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