Spelling Rules for Plurals - WriteAtHome

Spelling Rules for Making Plural Nouns

Normal nouns Nouns ending in s, x, z, ch, or sh Nouns ending in consonant-y Nouns ending in vowel-y Nouns ending in consonant-o Nouns ending in f or fe Irregular plurals Irregular -us to -i Irregular -is to -es Irregular -ix to -ices Irregular -eau to -eaux Irregular -en Irregular -a Irregular -oo to -ee Irregular -a to -ae Irregular -ouse to -ice Nouns that do not change between singular and plural Nouns with no singular form Nouns with no plural form Animal names with two plural forms Plurals of compound nouns

Normal Nouns

Normal nouns are made plural simply by adding an s. Because normal nouns are very numerous, this is a very limited list.

Singular

artichoke bubble chart drum egg fringe group hoop icicle jeep knot llama mop

Plural

artichokes bubbles charts drum eggs fringes groups hoops icicles jeeps knots llamas mops

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Singular nose oven park queen raven soup tree umbrella violin war xylophone yam zoo

Plural noses ovens parks queens ravens soups trees umbrellas violins wars xylophones yams zoos

Nouns ending in s, x, z, ch, or sh

Nouns that end in s, x, z, ch, or sh are made plural by adding es. The list below includes only a small sampling.

Singular

boss moss kiss bus class fox box hex ax buzz fizz

Plural

bosses mosses kisses buses classes foxes boxes hexes axes buzzes fizzes

Singular itch witch stitch birch wrench ash rash dish marsh rush clash

Plural itches witches stitches birches wrenches ashes rashes dishes marshes rushes clashes

Nouns ending in y, preceded by a consonant

Nouns that end in y, preceded by a consonant, are made plural by replacing the y with ies.

Singular

ability battery candy city daisy energy fairy gravy hobby inability jelly kitty

Plural

abilities batteries candies cities daisies energies fairies gravies hobbies inabilities jellies kitties

Singular lady mommy navy oddity puppy quantity remedy story twenty unity visionary whimsy

Plural ladies mommies navies oddities puppies quantities remedies stories twenties unities visionaries whimsies

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Nouns ending in y, preceded by a vowel Nouns that end in y, preceded by a vowel, are treated like normal nouns: just add s.

Singular

day play

Plural

days plays

Singular toy valley

Plural toys valleys

Nouns ending in o, preceded by a consonant Some nouns that end in o, preceded by a consonant, are made plural by adding es.

Singular

echo hero potato

Plural

echoes heroes potatoes

Singular tomato tomato zero

Plural tomatoes tomatoes zeroes

Other nouns that end in o and are preceded by a consonant are made plural by just adding s. If in doubt, check a dictionary.

Singular

Plural

Singular

Plural

casino

casinos

inferno

infernos

disco

discos

photo

photos

egos

egos

promo

promos

Intro

intros

ratio

ratios

Still other nouns ending in o and preceded by a consonant have both recognized plural

forms: add either s or es. If in doubt, check a dictionary.

Singular

buffalo halo mosquito

Plural

buffalos or buffaloes halos or haloes mosquitos or mosquitoes

Singular gazebo tornado embargo

Plural gazebos or gazeboes tornados or tornadoes embargos or embargoes

Nouns ending in f or fe Some nouns that end in f or fe become plural by changing the f or fe to ves.

Singular

calf elf half knife

Plural

calves elves halves knives

Singular leaf life shelf wife

Plural leaves lives shelves wives

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Other nouns that end in f or fe are treated as normal nouns: just add s.

Singular

belief brief chef chief

Plural

beliefs briefs chefs chiefs

Singular cliff gulf proof safe

Plural cliffs gulfs proofs safes

A small group of nouns that end in f can be made plural either way:

Singular

hoof dwarf scarf

Plural

hoofs or hooves dwarfs or dwarves scarfs or scarves

Singular loaf staff wharf

Plural loafs or loaves staffs or staves wharfs or wharves

Irregular Plurals

Many nouns are just, well, different. There's nothing to do but learn which these are. If in doubt, consult a dictionary.

Some nouns ending in us are made plural by changing the us to i.

Singular alumnus cactus focus fungus

Plural alumni cacti focuses or foci funguses or fungi

Singular octopus nucleus radius stimulus

Plural octopuses or octopi nuclei radii stimuli

Some nouns ending in is are made plural by changing the is to es.

Singular

axis analysis basis crisis diagnosis ellipsis

Plural

axes analyses bases crises diagnoses ellipses

Singular hypothesis oasis paralysis synthesis synopsis thesis

Plural hypotheses oases paralyses syntheses synopses theses

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Some nouns ending in ix or ex are made plural by changing the ix to ices.

Singular

appendix index

Plural

appendices indices

Singular matrix vertex

Plural matrices vertices

Some nouns ending in eau are made plural by changing the eau to eaux.

Singular

beau bureau

Plural

beaux bureaus or bureaux

Singular chateau tableau

Plural chateaux tableaux or tableaus

Some nouns become plural by changing the ending to en.

Singular

child man

Plural

children men

Singular ox woman

Plural oxen women

Some nouns become plural by changing the ending to a.

Singular

bacterium corpus criterion curriculum datum

Plural

bacteria corpora criteria curricula data

Singular genus medium memorandum phenomenon stratum

Plural genera media memoranda phenomena strata

Some nouns become plural by changing oo to ee.

Singular foot goose tooth

Plural feet geese teeth

Some nouns become plural by changing the ending a to ae.

Singular antenna formula

Plural antennae or antennas formulae or formulas

Singular nebula vertebra

Plural nebulae or nebulas vertebrae

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Some nouns become plural by replacing ouse with ice.

Singular louse mouse

Plural lice mice

Some nouns don't change at all between singular and plural forms.

Singular

aircraft deer means moose

Plural

aircraft deer means moose

Singular

offspring series sheep species

Plural

offspring series sheep species

Some nouns only have a plural form.

dregs grits mumps news

Plural pliers scissors shorts victuals

Some nouns have only a singular form in ordinary usage (some of these, like money, cotton, and sugar can be plural when talking about particular kinds)

coffee corn cotton gold

Singular money silver sugar wheat

Some nouns naming animals have two plural forms.

Singular

antelope cod elk fish flounder grouse

Plural

antelope or antelopes cod or cods elk or elks fish or fishes flounder or flounders grouse or grouses

Singular

herring quail reindeer salmon shrimp trout

Plural

herring or herrings quail or quails reindeer or reindeers salmon or salmons shrimp or shrimps trout or trouts

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Compound nouns are usually made plural by making the first noun part plural.

Singular

attorney-general brother-in-law father-in-law

Plural

attorneys-general brothers-in-law fathers-in-law

Singular mother-in-law run batted in sister-in-law

Plural mothers-in-law runs batted in sisters-in-law

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