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- Most nouns form the plural by adding -s or -es.
- Words that end in -ch, x, s or s-like sounds, however, will require an -es for the plural:
- A noun ending in -y preceded by a consonant makes the plural with -ies.
- Nouns ending in -f or -fe
- There are some irregular formations for noun plurals.
- Examples of irregular plurals
- Some nouns have the same form in the singular and the plural.
- Some nouns have a plural form but take a singular verb.
- Some nouns have a plural form and take a plural verb.
Most nouns form the plural by adding -s or -es.
Examples
- boat => boats
- hat => hats
- house => houses
- river => rivers
Words that end in -ch, x, s or s-like sounds, however, will require an -es for the plural:
Examples
- witch => witches
- box => boxes
- gas => gases
- bus => buses
- kiss => kisses
- Jones => Joneses
Note: There’s one exception to this rule. If the -ch ending is pronounced with a ‘k’ sound, you add -s rather than -es:
Examples
| singular | plural |
| stomach | stomachs |
| epoch | epochs |
A noun ending in -y preceded by a consonant makes the plural with -ies.
Examples
- a cry => cries
- a fly => flies
- a nappy => nappies
- a poppy => poppies
- a city => cities
- a lady => ladies
- a baby => babies
Nouns ending in -f or -fe
With nouns that end in a consonant or a single vowel plus -f or -fe, change the -f or -fe to -ves:
Examples
| singular | plural |
| knife | knives |
| half | halves |
| scarf | scarves |
Nouns which end in two vowels plus -f usually form plurals in the normal way, with just an -s
Examples
| singular | plural |
| chief | chiefs |
| spoof | spoofs |
There are some irregular formations for noun plurals.
Some of the most common ones are listed below.
Examples of irregular plurals
| Singular | Plural |
|
woman |
women |
|
man |
men |
|
child |
children |
|
tooth |
teeth |
|
foot |
feet |
|
person |
people |
|
leaf |
leaves |
|
half |
halves |
|
knife |
knives |
|
wife |
wives |
|
life |
lives |
|
loaf |
loaves |
|
potato |
potatoes |
|
cactus |
cacti |
|
focus |
foci |
|
fungus |
fungi |
|
nucleus |
nuclei |
|
syllabus |
syllabi/syllabuses |
|
analysis |
analyses |
|
diagnosis |
diagnoses |
|
oasis |
oases |
|
thesis |
theses |
|
crisis |
crises |
|
phenomenon |
phenomena |
|
criterion |
criteria |
|
datum |
data |
Some nouns have the same form in the singular and the plural.
Examples
| Singular | Plural |
|
sheep |
sheep |
|
fish |
fish |
|
species |
species |
|
aircraft |
aircraft |
Some nouns have a plural form but take a singular verb.
Examples
- news -> The news is on at 6.30 p.m.
- athletics -> Athletics is good for young people.
- linguistics -> Linguistics is the study of language.
- darts -> Darts is a popular game in England.
- billiards -> Billiards is played all over the world.
Some nouns have a plural form and take a plural verb.
Examples
- trousers -> My trousers are too tight.
- jeans -> Her jeans are black.
- glasses -> Those glasses are his.
others include:
- savings, thanks, steps, stair, customs, congratulations, tropics, wages, spectacles, outskirts, goods, wits