PLURALS OF
NOUNS
Regular
plurals
Most nouns
have a plural form. These nouns are marked [C] for “countable.” Usually the
plural is regular, and it is not given in the dictionary. Nouns such as
furniture or assistance that have no plural are marked [U] for “uncountable”—you
cannot count them. Here are the rules for spelling regular plurals:
noun ends in change examples
-s/-ss/-sh/-ch/-x/-z + es bus,
buses • class, classes • wish, wishes • match,
matches • box, boxes • quiz, quizzes
(Note that a final z may be doubled.)
consonant + y y • i + es baby,
babies • university, universities
other regular nouns + s hand,
hands • store, stores • play, plays • monkey,
monkeys
Nouns for
which the plural is the same as the singular
aircraft,
craft [TRANSPORT], deer, moose, offspring, reindeer, sheep, and the names of
some fish
Noun
endings that sometimes have irregular plurals
Some
irregular plurals are replaced by regular forms, especially in situations that
are informal or not specialized. Words like this are marked * in the following
table.
singular ending regular plurals irregular plurals
-a agendas, areas, dilemmas, diplomas, -ae algae, antennae*, larvae, vertebrae*
encyclopedias,
eras, guerrillas, quotas
-ex/-ix Almost all these nouns have an -es plural: -ices appendices*, indices*
apexes,
complexes, mixes, sixes.
-f/-fe beliefs, chiefs, cliffs, handkerchiefs, -ves calves, halves, hooves*,
proofs,
roofs, safes knives, leaves, lives,
loaves,scarves*,
Roofs
is sometimes pronounced /ru:vz/. selves,
shelves, thieves, wives, wolves
-is irises,
metropolises -es analyses, axes,
bases, crises, diagnoses, hypotheses, neuroses, oases, parentheses, psychoses,
syntheses, theses
-o Many
nouns form the plural with -s:
autos, memos, photos, pianos, radios,
solos,
studios, videos, zoos.
The
following common nouns take -es:
echoes,
embargoes, heroes, potatoes,
tomatoes,
vetoes.
Some nouns
can take either -es or -s:
cargoes or
cargos,mosquitoes or mosquitos,
mottos or
mottoes,
tornados or tornadoes, volcanoes or volcanos,
zeros or
zeroes.
-on Almost
all -on nouns add -s: -a criteria,
phenomena
aprons, electrons, lions, moons,
nations.
-um Most
nonspecialized words: -a Mainly
specialized or formal words:
albums, forums, gymnasiums, museums, bacteria, curricula*, memoranda*,
premiums, millennia*, spectra*, strata
Some nouns are usually regular, but
also have
irregular plurals with -a:
aquariums or aquaria, mediums or
media (= methods).
-us Most
-us nouns add -es: -i Mainly
specialized words:
bonuses, campuses, choruses,
geniuses, alumni, cacti*, foci*,
fungi, nuclei, radii, stimuli.
prospectuses, surpluses, viruses. Notice: genus, genera.
Other
irregular plurals
child,
children • ox, oxen • foot, feet • tooth,
teeth • goose, geese • man, men • woman,
women • mouse, mice • louse, lice • person,
people or persons
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