How To vs How Tos Quick Answer: “How to” (no hyphen) is a verb phrase used in a sentence, as in “here’s how to fix it.” “How-to” (hyphenated) is a noun or adjective, as in “a how-to guide.” The plural is “how-tos” — no apostrophe. “How-to’s” is grammatically incorrect and, for anyone publishing online, can cause real technical problems.
Most guides stop at the grammar rule. If you’re writing for the web, there’s a practical reason to get this right beyond just sounding polished.
The Three Forms at a Glance
| Form | Part of Speech | Example |
| how to | Verb phrase | “Here’s how to fix your laptop.” |
| how-to | Noun / adjective | “I wrote a how-to on gardening.” |
| how-tos | Plural noun | “These are our most popular how-tos.” |
Why “How-To’s” Is More Than Just Wrong-Looking
Apostrophes typically signal possession or a contraction — not a plural. Compound nouns like “how-to,” “runner-up,” and “check-in” pluralize by adding “s” to the whole term: how-tos, runner-ups, check-ins.
Here’s the part that matters if you publish content: apostrophes in URLs get stripped, encoded as %27, or cause broken links depending on your CMS. A category page or slug like /how-to’s/ can render inconsistently across browsers and platforms, while /how-tos/ never has that problem. This is a real reason to get the plural right beyond grammar preference — it protects your site structure.
Real-World Writing Examples
Example 1 — Blog category page
Incorrect: yoursite.com/category/how-to’s/ Correct: yoursite.com/category/how-tos/
The incorrect version risks the apostrophe being encoded or dropped inconsistently depending on the platform, creating duplicate or broken URLs over time.
Example 2 — Video title
Incorrect: “5 Quick How To’s for Beginners” Correct: “5 Quick How-Tos for Beginners”
Here it’s purely a grammar issue — no apostrophe needed since this is a straightforward plural, not a possessive.
Example 3 — Sentence using the verb phrase
“Here’s how to set up your new phone in under five minutes.”
No hyphen needed at all here — this is describing an action, not naming a thing.
The rule of thumb: if you’re naming a category, a type of content, or referring to a collection of guides, you need “how-tos” (no apostrophe). If you’re describing an action someone should take, use “how to” with no hyphen at all.
Grammar & Common Mistakes
- Hyphenation rule: Hyphenate “how-to” when it functions as a noun (“I read a how-to”) or as an adjective before a noun (“a how-to guide”). Don’t hyphenate when it’s part of a verb phrase (“learn how to cook”).
- Plural rule: Add “s” to the end of the whole compound word — “how-tos,” never “how-to’s” or “how’s-to.”
- Common mistake: Using the apostrophe because it “looks cleaner.” Clarity and correctness matter more than visual preference, especially in published content.
- Common mistake: Forgetting the hyphen in adjective position — “how to guide” (missing hyphen) reads as two disconnected words instead of one clear concept.
Why This Matters for Content Creators & SEO
If you write or publish instructional content, this isn’t just a style preference:
- URL slugs: Apostrophes in slugs can be stripped, percent-encoded, or handled inconsistently across CMS platforms — “how-tos” avoids the problem entirely.
- Category and tag naming: Using “how-tos” consistently across your site keeps navigation, tags, and internal search clean and predictable.
- Search intent matching: Since “how-tos” is the standard, widely-used form, it aligns better with how people actually type search queries — reducing any mismatch between your content and search behavior.
When to Use Each Form
Use “how to” (no hyphen) when:
- Describing an action or instruction directly in a sentence
- Following a verb like “learn,” “know,” or “explain”
Use “how-to” (hyphenated) when:
- Naming a single piece of instructional content
- Using it as an adjective before a noun
Use “how-tos” (plural, no apostrophe) when:
- Referring to more than one guide or tutorial
- Naming a category or content type
Related Reads
How To vs How Tos : FAQs
What is the correct plural of “how-to”? The correct plural is “how-tos” — no apostrophe. Compound nouns pluralize by adding “s” to the whole term, not with an apostrophe.
Is “how-to’s” ever correct? No, not as a plural. An apostrophe here would only make sense to show possession, which is rarely the intended meaning.
Should “how-to” always be hyphenated? Only when it functions as a noun or adjective (“a how-to guide”). When it’s part of a verb phrase (“learn how to cook”), no hyphen is needed.
Why does the apostrophe version cause problems online? Apostrophes in URLs and slugs can be stripped or encoded inconsistently across different platforms, which can create broken or duplicate links over time.
What’s an easy way to remember the rule? If you’re naming a thing (a guide, a category), hyphenate it. If you’re describing an action, don’t. For plurals, always drop the apostrophe.
