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This section covers the different rules for making nouns plurals. Only a few examples have been listed for each rule.
Making Nouns Plural
The following nouns can usually be made plural by adding the letter s.
cars
trees
books
animals
Below are some general rules for making special nouns plural.
When words end in the letter s, ss, z, x, sh, or ch, add es to the end of the words.
1.
Singular
gas
tax
dish
buzz
glass
church
Plural
gases
taxes
dishes
buzzes
glasses
churches
If a word ends in y with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) in front of it, add an s.
2.
Singular
boy
day
key
turkey
Plural
boys
days
keys
turkeys
If a word ends in y, with no vowel that comes before it, change the y to i and add es.
3.
Singular
city
baby
century
country
Plural
cities
babies
centuries
countries
When words end in the letter f, change the f to the letter v and add the letters es.
4.
Singular
leaf
wife
shelf
wolf
Plural
leaves
wives
shelves
wolves
If a noun ends in o, add an es.
Singular
hero
potato
tomato
mosquito
Plural
heroes
potatoes
tomatoes
mosquitoes
5.
The following are usually mistaken for singular nouns when they are actually plural nouns.
Singular
amoeba
bacterium
cactus
crisis
criterion
thesis
Plural
amoebae
bacteria
cacti
crises
criteria
theses
6.
Some nouns form their plurals by changing a letter or letters within the word.
7.
Greek Plural Nouns
Singular
alga
alumna
alumnus
antenna
datum
focus
fungus
genus
larva
medium
memorandum
nucleus
syllabus
Plural
algae
alumna (female)
alumni (male)
antennae
data
foci
fungi
genera
larvae
media
memoranda
nuclei
syllabi
Latin Plural Nouns
Singular
man
foot
tooth
goose
mouse
Plural
men
feet
teeth
geese
mice
Check the dictionary to help you determine how to make combined words with hyphens plural.
8.
Singular
mother-in-law
passerby
half-moon
Plural
mothers-in-law
passersby
half-moons
Some nouns are the same in singular form as they are in plural form.
9.
Singular
deer
quail
sheep
moose
Plural
deer
quail
sheep
moose
Language Arts: List of Plural Nouns
