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Plural Formation Adding –s and –es to Rules singular The plural suffix is pronounced as [s] when added Cap to a noun ending in p, t, k, th, f. cat book month roof it is pronounced [z] when added to a word ending Bird in b, d, g, m, n, r, v, dog car plane town ‐es is added to a word ending in the sounds s, z, bus sh, ch, x, dg, and is pronounced [iz]: glass brush match bridge rose box plural Caps cats books months roofs Birds Dogs Cars Planes towns Buses Glasses Brushes Matches Bridges Roses Boxes Invariable nouns ending in –s or –es Rule Some nouns end in –s have no singular form Some nouns end in –ies have no singular form Some diseases Subject names ending in –s Some games Singular News Measles Mumps Rickets Shingles Linguistics Phonetics Politics Economics Mathematics Billiards Dominoes Plural News Series species 2
Checkers Bowls Algiers Brussels Flanders Naples Wales The United States The United Nations Billows Binoculars Pincers Pliers Scales Scissors Shears Tongs Tweezers Glasses Spectacles Braces Trousers Pants Shorts Pyjamas Suspenders Sneakers Tights Some proper nouns Tools Articles of dress Nouns ending in y Rule Singular singular nouns ending in ‐y preceded by a consonant take ‐ies: nouns ending in ‐y preceded by a vowel take the plural suffix /‐s/ sky spy story boy bay Plural Story Spies Stories Boys bays 3
Nouns ending in o Rule Singular most words that end in ‐o take the ‐es suffix: some words that end in ‐o take the ‐s form Plural negro potato kilo photo piano Negroes potatoes all nouns ending in ‐o preceded by a vowel take only the ‐s form studio radio some take the suffix /‐os/ or /‐oes/ archipelago buffalo cargo halo tornado volcano commando Kilos Photos Pianos pianos owels:arpet, l carpet, ‐ studios radios Nouns ending in f Rule Singular singular nouns ending in ‐f have a Belief regular plural e.g.: Chief Roof Some form their plural by voicing Wife of the last consonant of the stem Leaf and adding the plural suffix ‐es Half Calf Some have both regular and Dwarf voiced plurals hoof scarf Plural beliefs chiefs roofs wives leaves halves Dwarves hooves scarves Dwarfs hoofs scarfs 4
Changing the vowel (Mutation) Rule Singular some common nouns form their plural by mutation (internal change of vowel) Foot Tooth Goose Man Ox Child The suffix /‐en/ is used in: Plural feet teeth geese men oxen children Foreign words (Words from Latin and Greek) Rule Singular loan words from other languages mostly Latin take the following plural suffixes: singular nouns ending in ‐us take the plural suffix –i Singular nouns ending in ‐a take the plural suffix ‐ae Singular nouns ending in ‐um take the plural suffix –a Singular nouns ending in ‐ex, ‐ix take the plural suffix –ices singular nouns ending in ‐is take the plural suffix ‐es singular nouns ending in ‐on take he plural suffix ‐a singular nouns ending in ‐eau take the plural suffix ‐eaux Singular stimulus alumnus locus focus alga larva nebula curriculum bacterium stratum index appendix matrix analysis hypothesis parenthesis thesis criterion phenomenon bureau plateau Plural stimuli alumni loci foci algae larvae nebulae curricula bacteria strata indices appendices matrices analyses hypotheses parentheses theses criteria phenomena bureaux plateaux 5
Latin Words with regular plural Rule Singular Foreign plurals often occur along with regular plurals. The foreign plural is commoner in technical usage, whereas the ‐s plural is more natural in everyday language. antenna appendix aquarium cactus criterion curriculum Regular Plural antennas appendixes aquariums cactuses criterions curriculums Latin Plural antennae acquaria appendices cactui criteria curicula Latin Words with regular plural Rule Singular Some loan words have a regular plural Album Area Plural Albums Areas