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List 16 - 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.

 

 

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

 

 

** More than one fish of the same species. Fishes are the plural of more than one species of fish.