Overview:
Most plurals are regular and formed by adding -s or -es. However, other words, such as child, have irregular plural forms. A few words, such as deer and sheep, do not have a plural form at all.
What Are Regular Forms that Add S?
Many nouns form plurals by adding -s, such as pencil, table, desk, or chair. Many nouns that end in y or o preceded by a vowel, also add -s, such as patio, patios; key, keys; and rodeo, rodeos. Some musical terms also add -s, such as solo, solos, soprano, sopranos. (The word concerto is an exception, as its plural form can either be the regular concertos or the Italian concerti.)
What Are Regular Forms that Add ES?
Some regular forms that add -es include words that end in s, ss, x, z, sh, or ch, such as dress, dresses; fox, foxes; waltz, waltzes; and bench, benches. Words that end in o preceded by a consonant can also end in es, such as tomato, tomatoes, or potato, potatoes.
What Are Regular Forms that Change Spelling?
Some forms are regular, but the spelling of the word itself is changed slightly. Words ending in y preceded by a consonant change the y to ie and add s, such as city, cities; baby, babies, or enemy, enemies. Some words that end in f or fe change to v and add es, such as leaf, leaves; or life, lives. Words that end in f do not always follow the rule as the plural of chief is chiefs.
What Are Irregular Plurals?
Irregular plurals do not follow rules, such as ox, oxen or child, children. Some words change spelling entirely, such as tooth, teeth; mouse, mice; or woman, women. A few words are so often in plural form that the singular form is seldom used, such as medium, media; or datum, data. Some words have no plural form, such as sheep, deer, and moose.
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