SPELLING RULES-MAKING NOUN PLURALS
Rule 1: Add an -s
to make a plural
of most words.
Rule 4: For words
that end in a
consonant plus a
-y, change the -y
1. star --- stars into -ie and add
2. pencil
--- an -s.
pencils
3. book
--1. theory
--books
theories
2. lily --- lilies
3. empty
--Rule 2: For words
empties
that end in a
"hissing sound (-s
-z -x -ch -sh) add Rule 5: For words
an -es to the
that end in -is.
word.
change the -is to es to make the
1. kiss
--- plural
kisses
2. hex
--1. thesis
--hexes
theses
3. match
--2. oasis
--matches
oases
3. analysis --analyses
Rule 3: For words
that end in a
vowel plus -y (-ay, Rule 6: Some
-ey, -iy, -oy, -uy)
words that end in
add an -s to the
-f or -fe have
word
plurals that end in
-ves.
1. boy --- boys
2. day --- days
1. elf --- elves
3. pulley
--2. calf
--pulleys
calves
3. shelf
--shelves
Rule 7: The plurals of words ending in -o can be formed by adding either -s or -es. Many word
way. You need to check a dictionary. Two helpful rules and a table can help.
Rule A: All words that end in a vowel plus an -o (-ao, -eo, - Rule B: All musical terms end
io, -oo, -uo) have plurals that ends in just -s.
just -s.
a. studio -studios
b. duo --- duos
c. trio --- trios
a. piano --- pianos
b. cello --- cellos
c. solo --- solos
-os
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
albinos
armadillos
autos
bravos
broncos
casinos
combos
gazebos
infernos
-oes
10. kimonos
11. logos
12. maraschinos
13. ponchos
14. sombreros
15. tacos
16. torsos
17. tobaccos
18. typos
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
echoes
embargoes
heroes
potatoes
tomatoes
torpedoes
vetoes
Some plural forms ending in -o end in -os or -oes. See Table above.
Rule 8: The plurals
of single capital
letters, acronyms
and Arabic
numerals (1, 2, 3,)
take an 's' without
an apostrophe:
1. Z (the capital
letter Z) --- Zs
2. POS (Point Of
Rule 9: Of course
you cannot make a
plural of an
uncountable noun.
Some examples are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
information
blood
paint
harm
Rule 10: Some
nouns by a quirk
of fate exist only in
the plural. Some
examples are:
1. pajamas
2. scissors
3. spectcles
-os o
1. avocados/oes
2. buffaloes/os
3. cargoes/os
4. desperadoes/os
5. dominoes/os
6. ghettos/oes
7. grottoes/os
8. hoboes/os
9. innuendoes/os
10. lassos/oes
Sale) --- POSs
3. ATM
(Automatic
Teller
Machine) --ATMs
4. 7 (the Arabic
numeral 7) --7s
5. cattle
Rule 13: Some
Rule 11: Some
nouns by a quirk
nouns by a quirk of Rule 12: Some
of fate appear as
fate exist only in
nouns by a quirk of sigular and plural
pairs. Some
fate are the same for but are actually
examples are:
singular and plural. separate words.
Some examples are: Some examples
are:
1. a
pair
of
scissors
1. deer
2. a
pair
of
2. sheep
1. due - dues
pants
2. spectacle spectacles
Rule 14: Some
nouns exist both as
pairs and without
pairs.Some
examples are:
1. glasses (eye
glasses)
pair
of
glasses
2. spectacles
(eye glasses)
pair
of
spectacles