This is a decidedly practical post. Here you’ll find all the rules (and non-rules) for making nouns plural. This is an area of some complexity in English, and I hope you find this article helpful reference. If you would like a hard copy of this material, click here to download a PDF version, including a linked table of contents:       Spelling Rules for Plurals

Normal Nouns

Normal nouns are made plural simply by adding an s. Because normal nouns are very numerous, this is a very limited list.

Nouns ending in s, x, z, ch, or sh

Nouns that end in s, x, z, ch, or sh are made plural by adding es. The list below includes only a small sampling.

Nouns ending in y, preceded by a consonant

Nouns that end in y, preceded by a consonant, are made plural by replacing the y with ies.

Nouns ending in y, preceded by a vowel

Nouns that end in y, preceded by a vowel, are treated like normal nouns: just add s.

 

Nouns ending in o, preceded by a consonant

Some nouns that end in o, preceded by a consonant, are made plural by adding es.

 

Other nouns that end in o and are preceded by a consonant are made plural by just adding s. If in doubt, check a dictionary.

 

Still other nouns ending in o and preceded by a consonant have both recognized plural forms: add either s or es. If in doubt, check a dictionary.

Nouns ending in f or fe

Some nouns that end in f or fe become plural by changing the f or fe to ves.

 

Other nouns that end in f or fe are treated as normal nouns: just add s.

 

A small group of nouns that end in f can be made plural either way:

Irregular Plurals

Many nouns are just, well, different. There’s nothing to do but learn which these are. If in doubt, consult a dictionary.

Some nouns ending in us are made plural by changing the us to i.

 

Some nouns ending in is are made plural by changing the is to es.

 

Some nouns ending in ix or ex are made plural by changing the ix to ices.

 

Some nouns ending in eau are made plural by changing the eau to eaux.

 

Some nouns become plural by changing the ending to en.

 

Some nouns become plural by changing the ending to a.

 

Some nouns become plural by changing oo to ee.

 

Some nouns become plural by changing the ending a to ae.

 

Some nouns become plural by replacing ouse with ice.

 

Some nouns don’t change at all between singular and plural forms.

 

Some nouns only have a plural form.

 

Some nouns have only a singular form in ordinary usage (some of these, like money, cotton, and sugar can be plural when talking about particular kinds).

 

Some nouns naming animals have two plural forms.

 

Compound nouns are usually made plural by making the first noun part plural.

 

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