Sometimes, when something sounds wrong in English, it’s actually right. This can be terribly confusing for both native speakers and for people who are learning English as a second language. A great example of this is the word “moneys” (which is also spelled as “monies”).
In the strictest sense, “moneys” is the plural form of money, but depending on the usage, “money” can also be a plural form of money. The exact rules appear to be quite blurry, but you can generally understand it as thus: “moneys” is the plural form when it would also be appropriate to use “sums of money” instead.
For instance, it would odd for me to say that I “save my moneys” at the bank; however, it would be appropriate for me to say that the bank reinvests all the “moneys” it collects. In more casual or conversational situations, “money” is usually fine. The term “moneys” is more commonly used in formal documents and legal circumstances, just like using [sic]. “Moneys” can also refer to multiple currencies, as would be the case with saying “the moneys of Southeast Asia are in a state of flux.”
Remember that moneys and money’s are not the same. The first, as described above, refers to the plural of money. The second would typically indicate a contraction for “money is,” as in “all my money’s spent.”
Do you have a suggestion for a future Grammar 101 post? Let me know through the comments below.
Thanks for the info, even though english is my first language this is one word that has got me on a few occasions. I worked at a law firm and was able to figure out the word better but only because there was a certain way things had to be worded as you said.
I’ve come across “monies” quite frequently but not “moneys”.