THE PLURALS OF NOUNS

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