# Is "dice" a singular noun in the UK? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 7, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205 "2009-09-07T22:16:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/1 "2009-09-07T22:16:53Z")
Check out this picture of a [cardboard spinner](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Monopoly_spinner.jpg) which was distributed with board games when materials were scarce during WWII, so they couldn’t make dice. The instructions on the spinner say, “when one dice only is required use large inside figures” and “The small figures represent the first dice, the large figures the second dice.” They also appear to use “dice” properly as a plural on some parts. So is this correct British English or an abomination? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/2 "2009-09-07T22:20:57Z")
Games Workshop, a current company based in the UK, does this as well. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/3 "2009-09-07T22:24:07Z")
According to the [Cambridge online dictionary](http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=21514&dict=CALD), it is. Singular _die_ is cited as U.S. or “old-fashioned.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Philosopher)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/4 "2009-09-07T22:49:13Z")
And apart from in formal contexts (like on exam papers) I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone use ‘die’ as the singular noun over here, it sounds a bit weird. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/5 "2009-09-07T23:50:32Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](#): > > And apart from in formal contexts (like on exam papers) I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone use ‘die’ as the singular noun over here, it sounds a bit weird. Where’s “over here?” Do you really hear people (aside from little kids) say “give me one dice?” ---
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/6 "2009-09-08T00:00:59Z")
Uk roleplayer for twenty years here. I and everyone i’ve ever gamed with use dice interchangably for singular and plural. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/7 "2009-09-08T00:17:34Z")
How often do you have occasion to use the singular of “dice” in RPGs, though? In my experience, you almost always have to specify the type, so you wouldn’t say “Hand me a dice”, you’d say “Hand me a d6”. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/8 "2009-09-08T03:06:07Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > How often do you have occasion to use the singular of “dice” in RPGs, though? In my experience, you almost always have to specify the type, so you wouldn’t say “Hand me a dice”, you’d say “Hand me a d6”. In roleplaying you’d be more likely to say “That’s my lucky dice”, “this dice is jinxed” and so forth. But plenty of scope for referring to individual dice. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/9 "2009-09-08T06:32:00Z")
> [@DeptfordX](#): > > Uk roleplayer for twenty years here. I and everyone i’ve ever gamed with use dice interchangably for singular and plural. Not I. Die = singular, dice= plural. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/10 "2009-09-08T07:39:52Z")
The dice is casted. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/11 "2009-09-08T08:40:34Z")
Dice is overwhelmingly singular and plural, similar to data. Most people say “the data is conclusive” and “the dice was (or were) loaded”. If I hear pepole say “the data are (or datum is) conclusive” and “the die is loaded” it tells me something about them (mostly that I would prefer to avoid an evening in their company). ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/12 "2009-09-08T08:47:59Z")
> [@Wallenstein](#): > > Dice is overwhelmingly singular and plural, similar to data. Where do you live? ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/13 "2009-09-08T09:05:13Z")
An exceptionally horrid maths teacher certainly taught me that the singular was die. That knowledge didn’t (and still doesn’t) stop me from using dice as both the singular and plural. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Philosopher)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/14 "2009-09-08T09:06:01Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Where’s “over here?” Do you really hear people (aside from little kids) say “give me one dice?” London, and yes. It wouldn’t feel completely natural to say “give me one dice” but it would be weirder to say “give me one die”, no one really uses that as the singular any more. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/15 "2009-09-08T09:12:19Z")
Another Brit: dice is singular and plural, and “die” is hardly ever used. In line with **Wallenstein** , somebody insisting on the “correct” use of die or datum isn’t somebody I’d be likely to hang around with! ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/16 "2009-09-08T09:24:52Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Where do you live? Apologies - I’m in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/17 "2009-09-08T09:29:58Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > How often do you have occasion to use the singular of “dice” in RPGs, though? In my experience, you almost always have to specify the type, so you wouldn’t say “Hand me a dice”, you’d say “Hand me a d6”. I knew someone who always said “hand me a die 6” instead of “d6”. US though. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/18 "2009-09-08T10:15:09Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Not I. Die = singular, dice= plural. Jolly good show! I’d also rather die than give in to this modern corruption. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/19 "2009-09-08T10:21:22Z")
A lot of people here (including me) will say dice for singular as well as plural, even though it isn’t strictly correct. My brother takes the opposite view. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205/20 "2009-09-08T10:37:52Z")
> [@Staggerlee](#): > > Jolly good show! I’d also rather die than give in to this modern corruption. By modern, you mean “stemming from the 15th century”, right? 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-dice-a-singular-noun-in-the-uk/509205.md?page=2)