The Plurals of Nouns
| By adding -s |
| Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
| ant |
ants |
lock |
locks |
| bicycle |
bicycles |
magazine |
magazines |
| cow |
cows |
nose |
noses |
| daughter |
daughters |
orange |
oranges |
| egg |
eggs |
picture |
pictures |
| flower |
flowers |
rose |
roses |
| grape |
grapes |
spoonful |
spoonfuls |
| house |
houses |
toy |
toys |
| jug |
jugs |
vase |
vases |
| king |
kings |
well |
wells |
| By adding -es to nouns ending in –ch, -s, -sh, -ss, and -x |
| Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
| beach |
beaches |
dish |
dishes |
| inch |
inches |
thrush |
thrushes |
| match |
matches |
boss |
bosses |
| watch |
watches |
dress |
dresses |
| bus |
buses |
glass |
glasses |
| octopus |
octopuses |
kiss |
kisses |
| syllabus |
syllabuses |
box |
boxes |
| virus |
viruses |
fox |
foxes |
| brush |
brushes |
six |
sixes |
| bush |
bushes |
tax |
taxes |
| By adding –s to nouns ending in -o |
| Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
| dynamo |
dynamos |
studio |
studios |
| photo |
photos |
tattoo |
tattoos |
| piano |
pianos |
torso |
torsos |
| radio |
radios |
trio |
trios |
| solo |
solos |
zero |
zeros |
| By adding -–es to nouns ending in -o |
| Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
| buffalo |
buffaloes |
potato |
potatoes |
| echo |
echoes |
tomato |
tomatoes |
| hero |
heroes |
tornado |
tornadoes |
| mosquito |
mosquitoes |
veto |
vetoes |
| negro |
negroes |
|
|
| By adding –s or –es to nouns ending in -o |
| Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
| banjo |
banjos/banjoes |
memento |
mementos/mementoes |
| archipelago |
archipelagos/es |
peccadillo |
peccadillos/es |
| cargo |
cargos/cargoes |
lasso |
lassos/lassoes |
| mango |
mango/mangoes |
indigo |
Indigos/indigoes |
| motto |
mottos/mottoes |
volcano |
volcanos/volcanoes |
| By changing –y into –ies if a noun ends in a consonant before the -y |
| Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
| beauty |
beauties |
fairy |
fairies |
| cherry |
cherries |
family |
families |
| curry |
curries |
nappy |
nappies |
| diary |
diaries |
spy |
spies |
| duty |
duties |
theory |
theories |
| By adding –s if there is a vowel before the -y |
| Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
| chimney |
chimneys |
kidney |
kidneys |
| donkey |
donkeys |
monkey |
monkeys |
| guy |
guys |
toy |
toys |
| jersey |
jerseys |
trolley |
trolleys |
| key |
keys |
valley |
valleys |
| By changing –f or –fe into –ves |
| Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
| calf |
calves |
life |
lives |
| elf |
elves |
loaf |
loaves |
| half |
halves |
sheaf |
sheaves |
| knife |
knives |
thief |
thieves |
| leaf |
leaves |
wife |
wives |
| By adding –s to nouns ending in –f or –fe |
| Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
| chef |
chef |
handcuff |
handcuffs |
| chief |
chiefs |
reef |
reefs |
| cliff |
cliffs |
roof |
roofs |
| giraffe |
giraffes |
safe |
safes |
| gulf |
gulfs |
sheriff |
sheriffs |
| By adding –s or changing –f into –ves |
| Singular |
Plural |
| dwarf |
dwarf/dwarves |
| handkerchief |
Handkerchiefs/ves |
| hoof |
hoof/hooves |
| scarf |
scarfs/scarves |
| turf |
turfs/turves |
| wharf |
wharfs/wharves |
| By changing the vowels |
| Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
| axis |
axes |
goose |
geese |
| cactus |
cacti |
louse |
lice |
| crisis |
crises |
mouse |
mice |
| emporium |
emporia/emporiums |
oasis |
oases |
| fungus |
fungus/funguses |
tooth |
teeth |
| By adding –en or –ren |
| Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
| ox |
oxen |
child |
children |
| By changing the vowels |
| Singular |
Plural |
Singular |
Plural |
| axis |
axes |
goose |
geese |
| cactus |
cacti |
louse |
lice |
| crisis |
crises |
mouse |
mice* |
| emporium |
emporia/emporiums |
oasis |
oases |
| fungus |
fungi/funguses |
tooth |
teeth |
* For computer mouse, the plural is mice or mouses.
** More than one fish of the same species. Fishes are the plural of more than one species of fish.
| The plural and singular forms of some nouns are the same |
| advice |
advice |
knowledge |
knowledge |
| aircraft |
aircraft |
music |
music |
| baggage |
baggage |
news |
news |
| cattle |
cattle |
offspring |
offspring |
| cod |
cod |
scenery |
scenery |
| deer |
deer |
series |
series |
| fish |
fish** |
sheep |
sheep |
| furniture |
furniture |
species |
species |
| information |
information |
|
