Both are correct. Use what kind of when you expect one category in the answer, and what kinds of when you expect several.
The difference between what kind of and what kinds of gets trickier with the noun that follows. In careful US writing, kinds of takes a plural noun when you can count the thing: kinds of shoes, not kinds of shoe.
One Expected Answer Takes Kind, Several Take Kinds
Picture the answer you want back, and let that choose the form.
- What kind of visa do I need for a layover in Frankfurt? You expect one visa type.
- What kinds of documents does the passport office accept as proof of address? You expect a list.
- What kind of pain is it, sharp or dull? One answer.
- What kinds of side effects should I report to the nurse? Several answers.
In everyday speech, people often use the singular for both. The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary lists What kind/kinds of cameras do you sell? as possible, especially in spoken English.
The Noun After Kind or Kinds: Singular, Plural, or Uncountable
A count noun is something you can put a number on, like shoe or form. An uncountable noun is something you measure instead, like flour or advice.
These three patterns are safe in any setting:
- kind of + singular count noun: This kind of error slips past spell-checkers.
- kinds of + plural count noun: Our clinic sees these kinds of injuries every ski season.
- kind of or kinds of + uncountable noun: My grandmother keeps three kinds of flour in the pantry.
Three other patterns split the experts. The next section shows who says what.
Style Guides Versus Newspapers on Three Disputed Patterns
Grammar sites often present one rule as settled when respected sources actually disagree. Here is where each pattern stands.
| Pattern | Example | Strict view | Relaxed view | Best choice for US writing |
| kinds of + singular count noun | What kinds of question came up? | The Chicago Manual of Style says to use the plural when the noun is countable. | Oxford Learner’s Dictionary accepts these kinds of question. | What kinds of questions came up in the second interview? |
| this/that kind of + plural noun | That kind of injuries heal slowly. | 88% of the American Heritage Usage Panel rejected a sentence built this way. | Oxford accepts kind of + plural in spoken questions such as What kind of cameras do you sell? | That kind of injury heals slowly. What kind of + plural is fine in questions. |
| these/those kind of | Those kind of chargers overheat. | Bryan Garner calls it illogical. 81% of the American Heritage panel rejected it. | Dictionary.com notes it’s an old pattern that still shows up in casual speech. | Those kinds of chargers overheat. |
The American Heritage figures come from its 2005 Usage Panel survey. Garner rates these kind of at Stage 2 on his Language-Change Index and says it makes a writer sound slovenly.
What edited prose actually prints
Linguist Mark Liberman counted these phrases in The New York Times and The Guardian for Language Log in 2015. After kinds of, types of, and sorts of, both papers used a plural noun most of the time:
| Newspaper | “kinds of question” | “kinds of questions” | Plural share, all phrases tested |
| The New York Times | 13 | 867 | 93.5% |
| The Guardian | 63 | 706 | 96.5% |
In an earlier test of scholarly papers, he found authors chose the plural about three times in four.
So kinds of question isn’t wrong by Oxford’s standard. It’s a minority form, though, and US readers may see it as a slip. Chicago’s editors describe an editor who changed kinds of cats to kinds of cat. The client objected, and Chicago agreed with the client.
For US writing, pair plural kinds with a plural noun.
Four Ways to Ask About Kinds of Shoes
The number of kinds and the number of items can change separately. That gives you four combinations.
| Question | Kinds you mean | Items you mean | Verdict |
| What kind of shoe is this? | One | One | Correct |
| What kind of shoes are these? | One | Several | Correct |
| What kinds of shoe come in the sampler box? | Several | One of each | Oxford accepts it; US editors prefer shoes |
| What kinds of shoes do runners need for trails versus roads? | Several | Many | Correct |
The second row trips people up most. A pair of hiking boots is one kind of shoe but two shoes. What kind of shoes are these? fits that perfectly.
Plural kinds tells your reader you mean more than one category. American Heritage makes the same point. If you ask What kinds of shoes are these?, your listener will expect a mixed pile, not one pair.
Why “These Kind Of” Sounds Natural but Reads as Sloppy
These kind of puts a plural word (these) in front of a singular one (kind). That mismatch is why American Heritage’s panel and Garner reject it so firmly.
It still sounds normal to many ears because it’s very old (see the history section below). Dictionary.com notes that edited, formal prose prefers this kind of and these kinds of.
You have three easy fixes:
- Make everything plural: These kinds of injuries show up every ski season.
- Make everything singular: This kind of injury shows up every ski season.
- Flip the sentence: Injuries like these show up every ski season.
Small Slips That Travel With Kind and Kinds
- “all kind of” or “two kind of”: Numbers and all need plural kinds: three kinds of flour, all kinds of drills.
- “different kind of objects”: A singular count noun like kind needs a word such as a in front. Write a different kind of drill or different kinds of drills.
- “type person”: Keep the of. Garner rates type person at Stage 3 and marks it as always inferior to type of person.
- “kinds of tired”: When kind of means “somewhat,” it never takes an s. Write I’m kind of tired.
- “much” and “many”: Use much with singular kind and many with plural kinds. How much of this kind of paperwork is left? but How many of these kinds of forms did you file?
Verb Agreement and the British Question
Does the verb agree with “kind” or with the noun after it?
In a question, it usually agrees with the noun. What kind of shoes are these? takes are because shoes is plural.
American Heritage explains that kind can act like number in A large number of fans have arrived. The verb follows fans, not number.
In a plain statement led by this kind of, keep everything singular: This kind of error slips past spell-checkers.
Do British writers use the singular more often?
Some British academics say they prefer kinds of hypothesis. In Liberman’s newspaper count, though, The Guardian used the plural even more often than The New York Times. In edited writing, you won’t find a meaningful gap.
How Kind Once Worked Like Sheep
Merriam-Webster traces the noun kind to before the 12th century. For much of its history, kind worked like sheep or deer: the same form for one or many, according to Dictionary.com.
That’s why these kind once sounded as normal as these sheep. Shakespeare’s 1623 First Folio has Cornwall say, “These kind of Knaues I know.”
The plural kinds grew later because people came to feel the old pattern was wrong. The old habit survives in speech, which is why these kind of still slips into writing.
The Rule to Keep
Let the answer you expect choose kind or kinds, then make the words around it match: this kind of form, these kinds of forms. If you’re unsure in formal US writing, choose what kinds of with a plural noun. No editor will mark it wrong.
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I’m Hazel, and I studied BSC English at GCUF. I focus on explaining word meanings in simple, clear language that anyone can understand. My goal is helping readers grasp everyday English, confusing terms, and slang used in real conversations and social media. I believe language learning works best when definitions connect to actual life situations. Through careful research and straightforward explanations, I make vocabulary accessible for students, learners, and anyone curious about how English really works in daily use.