English Irregular Plural Nouns

Regular Plural Forms

The majority of English count nouns are regular and predictable in the spelling of the plural form. Add -s to the end of the singular form or -es to those singulars that end in a sibilant sound (/s/, /z/, /ts/, /dz/). -s boy bed boys beds -es horse horses edge edges

book books patch patches pencil pencils prize prizes day days box boxes

However, if the singular ends with -y and the -y is not preceded by a vowel (or is not a proper name) the -y changes to -i and the plural is then -es. -y becomes -ies -y becomes -ys spy spies osprey ospreys bays poppy poppies bay

penny pennies Germany Germanys Outside of this pattern, however, are several nouns, which are irregular in their spelling. Below is a semicomprehensive list compiled from various sources.

Irregular Plural Nouns - List One

Some nouns that end in -f or -fe are changed to -ves in the plural: -f or -fe becomes -ves calf elf half hoof knife leaf life loaf calves elves halves hooves knives leaves lives loaves scarf self sheaf shelf thief wife wolf scarves selves sheaves shelves thieves wives wolves

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Irregular Plural Nouns - List Two

Some nouns change the vowel sound in becoming plural: singular plural fireman firemen foot goose louse Some Old English plurals are still in use: singular plural child ox children oxen feet geese lice singular plural man mouse tooth woman men mice teeth women

Irregular Plural Nouns - List Three

Some nouns ending in -o take -s as the plural, while others take -es.

-o becomes -os auto kilo memo photo piano pimento autos kilos memos photos pianos pimentos pro solo pros solos echo kangaroo kangaroos

-o becomes -oes echoes embargoes heroes potatoes tomatoes torpedoes vetoes embargo hero potato tomato torpedo veto

soprano sopranos studio tattoo video zoo studios tattoos videos zoos

Some nouns ending in -o take either -s or -es: singular buffalo cargo halo plural buffalos/buffaloes cargos/cargoes halos/haloes no tornado volcano zero singular plural nos/noes tornados/tornadoes volcanos/volcanoes zeros/zeroes

mosquito mosquitos/mosquitoes motto mottos/mottoes

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Irregular Plural Nouns - List Four singular cod* deer fish* perch* sheep trout* plural cod* deer fish* perch* sheep trout*

Some nouns do not change at all:

offspring offspring

*Notice that these are names of fish. Many (but not all!) fish have irregular plural forms. Salmon, pike, halibut and tuna are further examples, but one shark becomes two sharks. These include nouns that are traditionally plural, but are also used for singular forms: singular barracks crossroads dice/die gallows means series species plural barracks crossroads dice gallows means series species

headquarters headquarters

Irregular Plural Nouns - List Five singular foreign plural English plural in use alga algae amoebas antennas formulas nebulas

amoeba amoebae antenna antennae formula formulae larva nebula larvae nebulae

vertebra vertebrae Other nouns retain foreign plurals. Note that some of these have adapted a regular English plural form as well.

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Nouns ending in -us with plural -a (only in technical use): singular plural corpus genus Nouns ending in -us with plural -i: singular foreign plural English plural in use alumnus alumni bacillus bacilli cactus focus fungus cacti foci fungi funguses cactuses corpora genera

nucleus nuclei octopus octopi radius radii syllabuses stimulus stimuli syllabus syllabi terminus termini Nouns ending in -um with plural -a: singular addendum bacterium curriculum datum erratum medium ovum stratum symposium Foreign plural English plural in use addenda bacteria curricula data errata media memorandums ova strata symposia symposiums curriculums octopuses

memorandum memoranda

Nouns ending in -ex, -ix becoming plural -ices: singular apex Foreign plural English plural in use apices apexes appendixes
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appendix appendices
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cervix index matrix vortex Nouns ending in -is becoming -es in plural:

cervices indices matrices vortices

cervixes indexes matrixes

singular analysis axis basis crisis diagnosis emphasis neurosis oasis synopsis thesis Nouns ending in -on becoming -a: singular criterion automaton Other irregular plurals, retained from different languages:

plural analyses axes bases crises diagnoses emphases neuroses oases synopses theses

hypothesis hypotheses

parenthesis parentheses

plural criteria automata

phenomenon phenomena

singular plural libretto libretti Italian tempo cherub Hebrew Greek seraph tempi cherubim seraphim

virtuoso virtuosi

schema schemata

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