Grammar-Quizzes › Noun Phrases › Nouns › Regular Plural Nouns
-S | |
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We add the plural suffix –s to most words. |
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SINGULAR | PLURAL |
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apple (æ-pul) |
apples (æ-pulz) |
book |
books |
chair |
chairs |
picture |
pictures |
page |
pages |
key |
keys |
computer |
computers |
-ES | |
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After sounds s /s/, z /z/, sh /ʃ/, ch /tʃ/ and j /dʒ/, we add the plural suffix -e /ɪz/. |
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SINGULAR | PLURAL |
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box /bɒks/ |
boxes /bɒks-iz/ |
kiss |
kisses /kɪs-ɪz/ |
wish |
wishes /wɪʃ-ɪz/ |
watch |
watches /watʃ-ɪz/ |
buzz |
buzzes /bʌz-ɪz/ |
garage |
garages /gəˈrɑʒ-ɪz/ |
judge |
judges /ˈdʒʌdʒɪz/ |
Also see Irregular Plural Nouns and Spelling (See plural spellings within each vowel sound.)
–ES | |
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We add the plural suffix -es to most words that end in o. |
|
SINGULAR | PLURAL |
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tomato /təˈmeɪtoʊ, -ˈmɑ-/ |
tomatoes /təˈmeɪtoʊz/ |
echo /ˈɛkoʊ/ |
echoes /ˈɛkoʊz/ |
embargo |
embargoes /ɛmˈbɑrgoʊz/ |
hero |
heroes /ˈhɪəroʊz/ |
potato |
potatoes /pəˈmeɪtoʊz/ |
veto |
vetoes /ˈvitoʊz/ |
OPTIONAL | OS / OES |
buffalo |
buffalos or buffaloes /ˈbʌfəˌloʊz/ |
cargo |
cargos or cargoes /ˈkɑrgoʊz/ |
halo |
halos or haloes /ˈheɪloʊz/ |
mosquito |
mosquitos or mosquitoes |
no |
nos or noes /noʊz/ |
torpedo |
torpedos or torpedoes |
zero |
zeros or zeroes /ˈzɪəroʊz/ |
–S | |
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We add the plural suffix -s to words of foreign origin (Latin, Greek, etc.) |
|
SINGULAR | PLURAL |
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piano |
pianos /piˈænoʊz, ˈpyænoʊz/ |
auto |
autos /ˈɔtoʊz/ |
avocado |
avocados /ˌɑvəˈkɑdoʊz/ |
ghetto |
ghettos /ˈgɛtoʊz/ |
kilo |
kilos /ˈkɪloʊz/ |
memo |
memos /ˈmɛmoʊz/ |
photo |
photos /ˈfoʊtoʊz/ |
portfolio |
portfolios /ˈfoʊtoʊz/ |
pro |
pros /proʊz/ |
radio |
radios /ˈreɪdiˌoʊz/ |
soprano |
sopranos /səˈprænoʊz, -ˈprɑnoʊz/ |
solo |
solos /ˈsoʊloʊz/ |
studio |
studios /ˈstudiˌoʊz/ |
video |
videos /ˈvɪdiˌoʊz/ |
double oo – tattoos, kangaroos, loos, zoos (regular)
Y → I + ES | |
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When a word ends in Y and there is a consonant before Y, we change the Y to I and add -ES. |
|
SINGULAR | PLURAL |
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baby |
babies /ˈbeɪbiz/ |
fry |
fries /fraɪz/ |
supply |
supplies /səˈplaɪz/ |
fly |
flies /flaɪz/ |
ally |
allies /ˈælaɪz, əˈlaɪz/ |
BUT NOT AFTER—VOWEL+Y | |
boy |
boys /bɔɪz/ |
toys |
toys /tɔɪz/ |
key |
keys /kiz/ |
monkey |
monkeys /ˈmʌŋkiz/ |
day |
days /deɪz/ |
play |
plays /pleɪz/ |
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FE or F → V + ES | |
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When a word ends in -F or -FE, we change the F to V and add -ES. |
|
SINGULAR | PLURAL |
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leaf |
leaves /livz/ |
half |
halves /hævz, hɑvz/ |
life |
lives /laɪvz/ /lɪvz/ |
self |
selves /sɛlvz/ |
thief |
thieves /θivz/ |
scarf |
scarves /skɑrvz/ |
calf |
calves /kævz, kɑvz/ |
knife |
knives /naɪvz/ |
loaf |
loaves /loʊvz/ |
shelf |
shelves /ʃɛlvz/ |
wolf |
wolves /wʊlvz/ |
BUT NOT IN THESE WORDS | |
cliff |
cliffs /klɪfs/ |
roof |
roofs /rufs, rʊfs/ |
belief |
beliefs /bɪˈlifs/ |
chief |
chiefs /tʃifs/ |
lives – noun /laɪvz/ ; verb /lɪvz/
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) and sounds — pronunciation key
To hear the pronunciation of a word, search for the word and click the sound symbol — Dictionary.com
Related page FinalS-audio
TRADTIONAL DESCRIPTION |
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6-1 Subject-Verb Agreement (Azar) 1. final k, t, p, g, d, b ⇒ -s 2. final sh, ch, s, x, z dge/dge ⇒ -es 3. final vowel + y ⇒ -oys / final consonant + y ⇒ -ies
523-4 Singular and plural (Swan) 1. consonant + y ⇒ -ies 2. final -sh, -ch, -s, -x or -z ⇒ -es 3. final -o ⇒ -es / loan words -s / both -es or -os 4. final -f ⇒ -ves / -s or -ves 5. irregular ⇒ -en, -ee- and others.
712-5 Chicago Manual of Style Italicized words— two Chicago Tribunes, too many sics Words in quotation marks—How many more "To be continued's" will you use? Coined words— too many ifs and buts, so many dos and donts, four thank-yous, yeses and nos/ yes's and no's, maybe's Letters, Abbreviations and Numberals—the three Rs. the 1990s. URLs
601–625 Forming Plurals (Gregg) Titles, Names, Letters, Numbers and Symbols Titles—Messrs. MMes. Misses, Mses. Measures—oz/oz, ft/ft, in/in but lb/lbs, yd/yds, qt/qts
(Also see Apostrophes for numbers and letters.)
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LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION |
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5 §3.2, Singular and Plural Nouns (Huddleston)
Base Plural — plural is same form as singular
Nouns whose base form ends in -s / -z
Vowel changes
Old English
Foreign (See 18 §4.1.6.) Compounds (See 18 §4.1.7.) |