Study Resource: English plural nouns reference sheet
The table below summarizes the rules for forming pluralNo definition set for pluralLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. nounsNo definition set for nounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. 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. |
-f, -fe (only some nouns) | -f / -fe → -ves | knifeloaf | knivesloaves | Pronunciation of f changes too. |
-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. |
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. |
Nouns ending in -a | -a → -ae | alumnaformula | alumnaeformulae | Usually only Latin nouns. |
Nouns ending in -ix or -ex | -ix / -ex → -ices | matrixvortex | matricesvortices | Usually only Latin nouns. |
Nouns ending in -um | -um → -a | datumminimum | dataminima | Usually only Latin nouns. |
Nouns ending in -is | -is → -es | thesisaxis | thesesaxes | Usually only Latin nouns. |
Nouns ending in -on | -on → -a | criterionautomaton | criteriaautomata | Usually only Greek nouns. |
Nouns ending in -au | Add -x | châteaubeau | châteauxbeaux | Usually only French nouns. |
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)