Singular and Plural Nouns in English

Nouns can be singular (one) or plural (more than one). Here's how to form them correctly:

1. Regular Plurals (Add -s/-es)

Rule	Singular	Plural
Most nouns	cat	cats
Ends in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -z	bus	buses
Ends in consonant + -y → -ies	baby	babies
Ends in -f/-fe → -ves	leaf	leaves

Examples:

• "One dog → two dogs"
• "A box → three boxes"
• "The city → many cities"

Note: Some words ending in -o add -es (tomato → tomatoes), others just -s (piano → pianos).

2. Irregular Plurals (Must Memorize)

Singular	Plural
child	children
foot	feet
tooth	teeth
mouse	mice
person	people
fish	fish (or fishes)

Examples:

• "One man → two men"
• "A sheep → five sheep" (same form)

3. Special Cases

✔ Same singular/plural form:

• deer, sheep, aircraft, series
  ✔ Only plural form:
• scissors, pants, glasses ("My glasses are broken")
  ✔ Latin/Greek plurals:
• cactus → cacti, analysis → analyses

4. Pronunciation Tips

• -s sounds like /s/: after p, t, k (cats, cups)
• -s sounds like /z/: after vowels or b, d, g (dogs, beds)
• -es adds a syllable (/ɪz/): boxes, dishes

Use PROMT.One Conjugator to check singular and plural forms of English nouns.