'Money,' 'Monies,' or 'Moneys'?

Michael S. asked:

"It's accepted to say, 'to hold moneys for payment in trust.' I presume 'moneys' is plural; I've also seen it spelled 'monies.' Does this mean, then, that the singular would be 'a money'?"

Ha! Well, it’s an interesting question, Michael. The singular word “money” is always a mass noun, like “water" or “furniture.” 

• I need some money. 
• I need some water. 
• I need some furniture. 

You’d never say “a money.” But the word does have two acceptable plurals: “moneys” and “monies.”

The “-ies” spelling always looks like it should be pronounce “monies” to me because it looks like “ponies” with an M, and then I think of Billy Idol, but that’s just my problem. It doesn’t affect what’s right or wrong.

Garner’s Modern English Usage and the AP Stylebook both say “moneys” is the better spelling, but it’s not nearly as clear when you go look at what publications are actually using. 

'Monies' Is Now the More Common Spelling

The most popular spelling of “monies/moneys” has varied dramatically over the last 200 years. 

In the early 1800s, the “-ies” spelling was most common, but the “-eys” spelling took over strongly until the mid-1970s. But since then, “monies” has become more popular in both books that Google has scanned and in the “New York Times.” The magazine “The Economist” also appears to favor the “monies” spelling. 

The frequency of monies and moneys in Google Books over time.

Dictionaries and Style Guide Don’t Match Actual Usage

It seems as if dictionaries and style guides are lagging actual usage, and I’m not the only person to notice. The Cambridge Guide to English Usage also notes that “‘Moneys’ is given preference over ‘monies’ in all...

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