1. For most nouns, add –s to the singular noun.
desk/desks toy/toys car/cars book/books voice/voices cat/cats
2. For nouns ending in –s, –z, –sh, or –ch, add –es to the singular noun.
class/classes quiz/quizzes wish/wishes watch/watches bus/buses mass/masses
3. For nouns ending in –f, change –f to –v and add –es.
wife/wives leaf/leaves scarf/scarves knife/knives loaf/loaves (Note: There are several exceptions to this rule: beliefs, roofs, cliffs, cuffs, chiefs)
4. For nouns ending in a consonant + y, change the –y to –i and add –es.
story/stories fry/fries bully/bullies pony/ponies spy/spies
5. For nouns ending in a vowel + y, just add –s.
delay/delays day/days toy/toys survey/surveys play/plays
6. Some nouns ending in –o form their plural by adding –es. Others just add –s.
tomato/tomatoes hero/heroes potato/potatoes zoo/zoos zero/zeros
Irregular Plural Nouns
class/classes quiz/quizzes wish/wishes watch/watches bus/buses mass/masses
3. For nouns ending in –f, change –f to –v and add –es.
wife/wives leaf/leaves scarf/scarves knife/knives loaf/loaves (Note: There are several exceptions to this rule: beliefs, roofs, cliffs, cuffs, chiefs)
4. For nouns ending in a consonant + y, change the –y to –i and add –es.
story/stories fry/fries bully/bullies pony/ponies spy/spies
5. For nouns ending in a vowel + y, just add –s.
delay/delays day/days toy/toys survey/surveys play/plays
6. Some nouns ending in –o form their plural by adding –es. Others just add –s.
tomato/tomatoes hero/heroes potato/potatoes zoo/zoos zero/zeros
Irregular Plural Nouns
1. Several nouns have irregular plural forms:
child/children
foot/feet
goose/geese
louse/lice
man/men
woman/women
mouse/mice
ox/oxen
person/people
tooth/teeth
2. A few nouns, mostly of Latin origin, have irregular plural forms:
us / i alumnus/alumni cactus/cacti focus/foci nucleus/nuclei stimulus/stimuli
sis / ses analysis/analyses axis/axes crisis/crises diagnosis/diagnoses oasis/oases
parenthesis/parentheses thesis/theses
ix / ices appendix/appendices index/indices
um,on / a bacterium/bacteria criterion/criteria datum/data memorandum/memoranda phenomenon/phenomena
3. Several nouns do not change in the plural.
deer/deer fish/fish offspring/offspring sheep/sheep species/species
Pronunciation of Final –s and –es for Plural Nouns
Noun Ending Sound
|
Plural Pronunciation
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Examples
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voiceless: /f/, /k/, /p/, /t/, /θ/
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/s/
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cufs, books,
cups, boats, months
|
voiced: /b/ /d/, /g/,
/l/, /m/, /n/,
/ŋ/, /r/, /ð/, /v/, all vowel sounds
|
/z/
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cabs, beds, dogs, jewels, combs, pens, things, years,
paths, knives, agendas
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/s/, /z/, /ʤ/,/ʒ/, /ʃ/, /ʧ/
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/ɪz/
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faces, sizes, pages, garages, dishes, watches
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