From my upcoming book, Frequently Misused and Misspelled Words and Phrases (and how to use them correctly).
People vs. Peoples vs. Persons
Wrong: The many
people of Africa offer diverse
cultures.
Right: The many
peoples of Africa offer diverse
cultures.
Wrong: The
incredibly huge number of peoples in
India leads to economic hardship and health problems.
Right: The
incredibly huge number of people in
India leads to economic hardship and health problems.
Wrong: We’re
hunting for three specific people who
escaped from jail.
Right: We’re
hunting for three specific persons
who escaped from jail.
The word people refers to a
group of human beings in a general sense. But a people is used for a body of people sharing a similar culture.
When discussing multiple such bodies of people, use peoples. Persons is a
plural of person, naturally, and refers to particular individuals, even if
unidentified (as in “person or persons unknown”).
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