Are “woods” the plural form of “wood”?
It depends on the meaning. The word wood can be both a countable and an uncountable noun, which affects whether we use wood or woods in different contexts.
Wood as Uncountable (Wood = Material)
When wood refers to the material (like timber or the substance used to make things), it is an uncountable noun. This means it doesn’t have a plural form and cannot be counted.
This is because wood in this context refers to the material itself, and we measure it in units like pieces, logs, or planks, not as individual items.
She put wood near the fireplace. (Not a wood)
A lumberjack chops wood.
Dark wood doesn’t go with the rest of the decor.
It’s made of wood.
We need three more planks of wood.
Wood as Countable (Wood = Forest)
When wood refers to a forest or a small forested area, it is a countable noun and can have a plural form: woods.
Behind her house were deep woods.
The deer live in the woods near my town.
These are oak woods.
He walked through the pine woods.
These are dense woods.
Note: In British English, the singular form wood is often used for forests, especially when referring to a specific type of forest, but woods is more commonly used in American English.
Key Differences
Summary of Usage
He carved a beautiful piece of wood.
We went hiking through the woods.
