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Study Resource: English plural nouns reference sheet

By: Isabel McKay

The table below summarizes the rules for forming plural nouns in English.

Noun Ending

Plural Rule

Singular

Plural

Notes

Most regular nouns

Add -s

dogplant
dogsplants

Can be pronounced /s/ or /z/.

-s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -z…

Add -es

buschurchbox
buseschurchesboxes

An extra syllable is added.
A syllable is also added for -ge and -dge nouns, but these are just spelled with an -s.

-f, -fe

(only some nouns)

-f / -fe → -ves
knifeloaf
knivesloaves

Pronunciation of f changes too.
Short vowels are lengthened in the plural.

-y

(after a consonant)

-y → -ies
partycountry
partiescountries

No difference in pronunciation. After a consonant, just add -s.

-o

(only some nouns)

Add -es

tomatovolcano
tomatoesvolcanoes

No difference in pronunciation.
Only a few nouns always follow this rule, mostly: potato, tomato, torpedo, echo, hero, zero, veto, volcano.
More nouns can be spelled with either -s or -es.
Many nouns can only be spelled with -s.

Types of irregular nouns

Some animals we hunt to eat

NO CHANGE

fishdeer
fishdeer

Used particularly for swimming sea creatures (fish), deer, and some game animals

Words that end in -craft

NO CHANGE

aircraft
aircraft

Some nouns that end in -craft are mass nouns, so they have no plural (witchcraft, stagecraft...).

Some old nouns

Vowel change only

mangoose
mengeese

List is very short: foot, man, woman, goose, mouse, tooth, louse.

child, ox, brother

Add -en

childoxbrother
childrenoxenbrethren

Vowel changes in children and brethren too. Brethren is old and not used for genetic brothers.

Nouns ending in -us

-us → -i / -era
syllabusgenus
syllabigenera

Usually only Latin nouns.
-is is pronounced "-ai."

Nouns ending in -a

-a → -ae
alumnaformula
alumnaeformulae

Usually only Latin nouns.
-ae is pronounced "-ay."

Nouns ending in -ix or -ex

-ix / -ex → -ices
matrixvortex
matricesvortices

Usually only Latin nouns.
-ices is pronounced "-iseez."

Nouns ending in -um

-um → -a
datumminimum
dataminima

Usually only Latin nouns.

Nouns ending in -is

-is → -es
thesisaxis
thesesaxes

Usually only Latin nouns.
-es is pronounced "-eez."

Nouns ending in -on

-on → -a
criterionautomaton
criteriaautomata

Usually only Greek nouns.

Nouns ending in -au

Add -x

châteaubeau
châteauxbeaux

Usually only French nouns.
Plural pronounced like the singular or like a regular plural.

There is also a short list of irregular nouns that you’ll just need to memorize. Mostly:

  • person → people

  • die → dice

  • penny → pence (in England)

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