THE PLURALS OF NOUNS
By adding -s | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
ant | ants | lock | locks |
bicycle | bicycles | magazine | magazines |
cow | cows | nose | noses |
daughter | daughters | orange | oranges |
egg | eggs | picture | pictures |
flower | flowers | rose | roses |
grape | grapes | spoonful | spoonfuls |
house | houses | toy | toys |
jug | jugs | vase | vases |
king | kings | well | wells |
By adding -es to nouns ending in –ch, -s, -sh, -ss, and -x | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
beach | beaches | dish | dishes |
inch | inches | thrush | thrushes |
match | matches | boss | bosses |
watch | watches | dress | dresses |
bus | buses | glass | glasses |
octopus | octopuses | kiss | kisses |
syllabus | syllabuses | box | boxes |
virus | viruses | fox | foxes |
brush | brushes | six | sixes |
bush | bushes | tax | taxes |
By adding –s to nouns ending in -o | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
dynamo | dynamos | studio | studios |
photo | photos | tattoo | tattoos |
piano | pianos | torso | torsos |
radio | radios | trio | trios |
solo | solos | zero | zeros |
By adding -–es to nouns ending in -o | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
buffalo | buffaloes | potato | potatoes |
echo | echoes | tomato | tomatoes |
hero | heroes | tornado | tornadoes |
mosquito | mosquitoes | veto | vetoes |
By adding –s or –es to nouns ending in -o | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
banjo | banjos/banjoes | memento | mementos/mementoes |
archipelago | archipelagos/es | peccadillo | peccadillos/es |
cargo | cargos/cargoes | lasso | lassos/lassoes |
mango | mango/mangoes | indigo | Indigos/indigoes |
motto | mottos/mottoes | volcano | volcanos/volcanoes |
By changing –y into –ies if a noun ends in a consonant before the -y | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
beauty | beauties | fairy | fairies |
cherry | cherries | family | families |
curry | curries | nappy | nappies |
diary | diaries | spy | spies |
duty | duties | theory | theories |
By adding –s if there is a vowel before the -y | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
chimney | chimneys | kidney | kidneys |
donkey | donkeys | monkey | monkeys |
guy | guys | toy | toys |
jersey | jerseys | trolley | trolleys |
key | keys | valley | valleys |
By changing –f or –fe into –ves | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
calf | calves | life | lives |
elf | elves | loaf | loaves |
half | halves | sheaf | sheaves |
knife | knives | thief | thieves |
leaf | leaves | wife | wives |
By adding –s to nouns ending in –f or –fe | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
chef | chef | handcuff | handcuffs |
chief | chiefs | reef | reefs |
cliff | cliffs | roof | roofs |
giraffe | giraffes | safe | safes |
gulf | gulfs | sheriff | sheriffs |
By adding –s or changing –f into –ves | |
Singular | Plural |
dwarf | dwarfs/dwarves |
handkerchief | handkerchiefs/-ves |
hoof | hoofs/hooves |
scarf | scarfs/scarves |
turf | turfs/turves |
wharf | wharfs/wharves |
By changing the vowels | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
axis | axes | goose | geese |
cactus | cacti | louse | lice |
crisis | crises | mouse | mice |
emporium | emporia/emporiums | oasis | oases |
fungus | fungus/funguses | tooth | teeth |
By adding –en or –ren | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
ox | oxen | child | children |
By changing the vowels | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
axis | axes | goose | geese |
cactus | cacti | louse | lice |
crisis | crises | mouse | mice* |
emporium | emporia/emporiums | oasis | oases |
fungus | fungi/funguses | tooth | teeth |
* For computer mouse, the plural is mice or mouses.
The plural and singular forms of some nouns are the same | |||
advice | advice | knowledge | knowledge |
aircraft | aircraft | music | music |
baggage | baggage | news | news |
cattle | cattle | offspring | offspring |
cod | cod | scenery | Scenery |
deer | deer | series | series |
fish | fish** | sheep | sheep |
furniture | furniture | species | species |
information | information |
** More than one fish of the same species. Fishes are the plural of more than one species of fish.
Some nouns are used only in the plural | |||
binoculars | measles | riches | sneakers |
clothes | pants | sandals | spectacles |
goggles | people | scissors | stockings |
goods | pincers | shears | thanks |
gymnastics | pliers | shorts | tongs |
jeans | pyjamas/pajamas | slippers | trousers |
Some nouns are used only in the singular | |||
accommodation | economics | linguistics | poetry |
athletics | equipment | luggage | politics |
billiards | fun | mathematics | traffic |
darts | furniture | news | |
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