The Lowdown on Plurals

Jan 12, 2001 - © Barb Alexander

The bare basics on pluralizing nouns:

Add -s, part one
Most of the nouns in the English language! Read on, though...


Add -s, part two
If the noun ends in a vowel plus -y (-ay, -ey, -iy, -oy, -uy)

  • key / keys
  • joy / joys

Change the -y into -ie and add an -s
If the word ends in a consonant plus -y

  • lady / ladies
  • fly / flies
  • sky / skies

Add -es
If the noun ends in -ss, -x, -z, -sh, -ch

  • dress / dresses
  • box / boxes
  • crash / crashes
  • torch / torches

Change the -f or -fe to -ves

  • wolf / wolves
  • calf / calves
  • knife / knives
  • life / lives

For some words ending in -o, add -s

  • auto / autos
  • casino / casinos
  • taco / tacos
  • stereo / stereos
  • inferno / infernos

For other words ending in -o, add -es

  • echo / echoes
  • hero / heroes
  • potato / potatoes
  • tomato / tomatoes
  • veto / vetoes

(Some words ending in -o may be pluralized with -s or -es)

  • mosquito / mosquitos / mosquitoes
  • volcano / volcanos / volcanoes
  • ghetto / ghettos / ghettoes
  • buffalo / buffalos / buffaloes

Don't do anything, part one
The singular and plural are the same.

  • sheep
  • fish

Don't do anything, part two
Nouns such as these do not have a "singular" form.

  • scissors
  • corps
  • species
  • jeans

Irregulars
There is not much you can do about nouns with irregular plural forms, short of memorizing them. Your continued exposure to them will also help you remember how to pluralize them.

  • mouse / mice
  • goose / geese
  • ox / oxen
  • alumnus / alumni
  • person / people
  • child / children
  • foot / feet

The copyright of the article The Lowdown on Plurals in English Grammar is owned by Barb Alexander. Permission to republish The Lowdown on Plurals in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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