Plural Nouns: Regular and Irregular
How English makes plurals, and the irregular ones that often appear in puzzles and spelling tests.
Plurals are part of daily English, and puzzles often include them.
Regular plurals
- Most nouns add -S: CAT becomes CATS
- Nouns ending in S, X, Z, CH, SH add -ES: BOX becomes BOXES, BUS becomes BUSES
- Nouns ending in a consonant plus Y change Y to IES: BABY becomes BABIES
- Nouns ending in a vowel plus Y add -S: DAY becomes DAYS
Words ending in -F or -FE
Many change to -VES:
- LEAF becomes LEAVES
- KNIFE becomes KNIVES
- WOLF becomes WOLVES
But some just add -S: ROOF becomes ROOFS.
Words ending in -O
- Some add -ES: POTATO becomes POTATOES
- Others add -S: PHOTO becomes PHOTOS
Irregular plurals
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| MAN | MEN |
| WOMAN | WOMEN |
| CHILD | CHILDREN |
| FOOT | FEET |
| TOOTH | TEETH |
| MOUSE | MICE |
| PERSON | PEOPLE |
Same in singular and plural
- SHEEP
- DEER
- FISH (often)
In puzzles
A list might say MICE and not MOUSE. Make sure you search for the exact form given.
Learning
Say each plural aloud. Many irregulars come from older forms of English.
Tips
- Learn the main rules.
- Memorise the irregulars.
- Check the exact form in the list.
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