What is the Plural Form of LEGO? It’s Not “LEGOs”

As a lifelong fan of LEGO, I suppose I have always known the correct way to refer to LEGO bricks. I never remember myself calling them “Legos” as a kid. Nobody ever told me the correct way to say it, but I guess I just picked it up from the packaging, LEGO magazine, or advertisements. Of course, writing a LEGO blog, I do my best to refer to LEGO sets and LEGO bricks in the correct manner. Recently, we have seen some very prominent news outlets using the plural form of LEGO incorrectly.

Yes, there is a proper way to refer to more than one LEGO set, and it is not “LEGOs”, or “Lego.” The LEGO Group is very clear on this and has provided guidance. One might assume that there are not true Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOLs) writing for these large media outlets, or they would know how to use the LEGO grammar correctly!

How Do You Say the Plural Form of LEGO Correctly?

Let’s take a look at the evidence from The LEGO Group on how to refer to their wonderful products.

First, there is this great tweet from @pjohanneson asking in a Twitter poll what is the correct plural form of LEGO. Almost 84% of the respondents got it right! In case there was any doubt left in anyone’s mind, The LEGO Group also responded to the tweet!

LEGO is always an adjective. So LEGO bricks, LEGO elements, LEGO sets, etc. Never, ever “legos.”

-The LEGO Group (@LEGO_Group)

Well, there you have it! Debate solved, right? We wish it was that easy! Apparently, not everyone has read this tweet.

Fair Play Policy

The official guidance on how to use copyrights and trademarks can be found in The LEGO Group’s Fair Play Policy. Specifically, see the section titled “Proper Use of the LEGO Trademark on a Web Site.” Here we have summarized the main points.

• LEGO should always be used as an adjective, not as a noun.
• You should never say, “I am going to build with LEGOs.” You should say, “I am going to build with LEGO bricks.”
• You cannot use LEGO in a domain name. That’s why you see LEGO blogs and fan sites usually have the word “brick” in the domain name.

Fair Play Brochure

Furthermore, if that wasn’t clear enough, The LEGO Group provides even more guidance in their Fair Play Brochure. Here are some of the main clarifications.

• LEGO should always be written in all capital letters.
• A noun should always be used after LEGO, such as LEGO sets or LEGO toys.
• Do not add a possessive “s”, plural “s”, or hyphen, such as LEGO’s new releases, play with my LEGOs, or LEGO-sets.

We definitely see LEGO written like “Lego” without all caps, in addition to the plural form of LEGO being used incorrectly.

We hope this post has helped provide some clarification. Now, when you read news or blog articles, you won’t be able to stop spotting these incorrect usages!