Lives vs. Lifes – What’s the Gist?
The confusion between these two words comes from the heteronym lives. Remember heteronyms have different meanings and sounds, but they share the same spelling.
- Lives primarily acts as present tense third-person singular verb.
- Lifes is not a word.
Actually, the plural of life is not lifes but rather lives.
How to Use Lives in a Sentence
Lives definition: The word lives is a third-person singular verb; it is pronounced with a short i sound \lĭvz\. For the sake of having a broader application, we’ll define the word live instead.
Live \lĭv\ as an intransitive verb is very nuanced. It means to be alive; or to subsist; or to inhabit a home; or realize eternal life; or endure in human memory; or to have a rich life experience; or to cohabitate.
For example:
- First responders live to serve and protect. (Present Tense Verb)
- After upgrading, the family lives in a larger, two-story home. (Present Tense Verb)
- Right after college, the couple lived together for several years. (Past Tense Verb)
Additionally, live \lĭv\ functions as a transitive verb, passing action to either a subject or to a direct object, and means to spend the duration of; or to practice; or to exhibit enthusiasm; or to experience firsthand.
For example:
- The quarantined community lives their days sequestered from each other. (Present Tense Verb)
- She lives out her life by serving others and offering kindness everywhere she goes. (Present Tense Verb)
- In spite of setbacks, the injured athlete lives life fully. (Present Tense Verb)
Finally, the word live \līv\, pronounced with a long i, is an adjective, which means having life; or containing energy; or of a current interest; or broadcast at the time of production; or something that is in play.
For example:
- As the beachcomber walked along the water’s edge, he came upon a live crab. (Adjective)
- The newscast was live. (Adjective)
- The linebacker did not realize that the dropped football was a live ball. (Adjective)
As you can see, the denotations of the word live, pronounced either \lĭv\ or \līv\, are many.
How to Use Lifes in a Sentence
Lifes definition: Because the plural of the word life is not lifes but rather lives, the noun life will be defined instead.
As a noun, life has many denotations: the distinguishing quality that reflects a vital, functional being; the physical and mental experiences that reflect the existence of an individual; the period from birth to death; a manner of living; duration of something; one providing interest or vigor; or something assigned animation.
For example:
- Frankenstein’s creature was given life. (Noun)
- My life is enriched by the deep and abiding friendships that had been cultivated over a lifetime. (Noun)
- The dash on the gravestone reflected his life on earth. (Noun)
Furthermore, the word life functions as an adjective, meaning lifelong or relating to insurance.
For example:
- Her life membership in the club ensured her consistent attendance. (Adjective)
- He purchased a life insurance policy to cover expenses. (Adjective)
Remember the plural for life is lives \līvz\, pronounced with a long i sound.
Outside Examples of Lives
- “It seems like it’s targeted at the older generation,” said the District resident, who lives with her 9-year-old granddaughter, whose father died a few years ago, and her 14-year-old grandson, whom Gentry has raised since infancy. –The Washington Post
- Andrew Busch, 33 years old, who lives outside Milwaukee, said gasoline in his area has fallen from about $2.60 a gallon toward the end of last year to below $2 currently. The senior financial analyst at financial-technology firm Fiserv Inc. normally drives to work with his wife, a health-care worker. Since Mr. Busch is now working remotely, he said he plans to still drive his wife just to get out of the house but will no longer need to travel to his office. –The Wall Street Journal
- The University of South Florida put out a statement late Tuesday afternoon, calling commencement a “vital element of the university community and an important milestone in the lives of students and their families.” –Tampa Bay Times
- In a live-streamed address Wednesday evening, he said the only way to save lives as the pandemic worsens in Pennsylvania is for nonessential businesses to heed his request to close shop and for people to stay home. –The Philadelphia Inquirer
Phrases That Use Lives
Even though there aren’t any common phrases for the word lives, there are several phrases that use the word live or life, including:
Live it up: To experience the moment fully engaged and reveling in it.
- After finals week was over, the coeds were living it up.
Live up to: To fulfill an expectation or meet a standard anticipated by someone else.
- The younger son tried to live up to his mother’s expectation by following in his older brother’s footsteps.
It’s a dog’s life: To live in a deplorable or miserable state. However, this term can be used to mean the opposite—that a dog has an easy life.
- Lying on the sofa, eating at will, and using the dog door carte blanche meant the family pet had a dog’s life indeed.
The good life: To have an existence that reflects the best that life has to offer with few concerns or worries.
- After getting the job of her dreams, the woman experienced the good life for the first time.
How to Remember These Words
Because these two words, live and life share a heteronym of lives, you need to keep the meaning and the pronunciation clear in your mind.
Lives, pronounced \lĭvz\, is the third person singular verb of live \lĭv\. The plural of the noun life is lives, pronounced \līvz\.
For example:
- He lives down the road.
- Their lives were spared.
Article Summary
Is lives or lifes correct? These heteronyms are easily confused. Ask yourself whether you need either a verb or a noun. If you are looking for a transitive verb that expresses action or an intransitive verb which expresses being, pick the word lives pronounced with the short i sound.
If you need a plural noun, pick the word lives pronounced with the long i sound.
- Lives functions primarily as a third-person singular verb.
- Lifes is not a word, but the term lives is the plural form of the noun life.