Most nouns in English have Regular Plurals where you just add a ‘s’ at the end and you’re done. For example: Cakes, books, nuts, stamps, pictures and so on.
But there are many other nouns where adding a ‘s’ just won’t do!
Nouns that end in:
– x, ch, s, s or z-like sounds, need an ‘–es’ for the plural form. For example:
- Box – Boxes
- Stitch – Stitches
- Pass – Passes
- Fuss – Fusses
– Vowels (a, e, i, o, u) + y require you to add an ‘s’.
- Toy – Toys
- Pay – Pays
-Consonants (other than vowels) + y , remove the ‘y’ and add ‘ies’
- Baby – Babies
- Worry – Worries
- Hurry – Hurries
-‘o’ change to ‘oes’ or ‘os’
- Potato – Potatoes Video – Videos
- Tomato – Tomatoes Studio – Studios
- Echo – Echoes Auto – Autos
- Hero – Heroes Piano – Pianos
– ‘f’ or ‘fe’ change to s or –es (with a ‘v’ sound)
- Knife – Knives Leaf – Leaves
- Wife – Wives Hoof – Hooves
- Life – Lives Elf – Elves
- Hive – Hives Shelf – Shelves
And then there are nouns that have Irregular Plurals as they do not follow the above mentioned rules!
Singular Plural
- Man Men
- Woman Women
- Child Children
- Foot Feet
- Tooth Teeth
- Goose Geese
- Mouse Mice
Nouns without a plural form:
- Aircraft Aircraft
- Furniture Furniture
- Hair Hair
- Deer Deer
- Sheep Sheep
- Fish Fish
You will never make mistakes again with this fool proof guide to plurals by your side!