List of Regular and Irregular Nouns and their Plurals

English is a fascinating and complex language, and one of the most interesting aspects of it is the way we form plurals.

The history of the English language, its etymology, and the various influences that have shaped it over time all play a role in the way we form plurals today.

In these ‘plural of’ blog posts, we'll delve into the history of the English language, explore the etymology of nouns, and discuss the most common rules for forming plurals in English.

The English language has its roots in the Germanic languages spoken by the tribes that migrated to the British Isles in the 5th century AD.

Over time, it has undergone several changes, including the influence of other languages such as Latin, French, and Greek. These influences have led to a complex system for forming plurals in English.

Life is Beautiful

The etymology of nouns is also an important factor in understanding plurals.

Nouns can be divided into several categories based on their origins, including Germanic, Latin, and Greek nouns. Germanic nouns, for example, often form plurals by adding an -s or -es, while Latin and Greek nouns often change the ending of the word to indicate plurality.

One of the most common rules for forming plurals in English is adding -s to the end of a noun. This rule applies to most nouns that are not already in the plural form. For example, "book" becomes "books", "dog" becomes "dogs", and "cat" becomes "cats".

However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, nouns ending in -s, -x, -z, -sh, or -ch usually form plurals by adding -es. This can be seen in words like "bus" becoming "buses", "box" becoming "boxes", "quiz" becoming "quizzes", "dish" becoming "dishes" and "church" becoming "churches".


Read our full blog post on how to form plurals in English.


Plural of Box

Another common rule is nouns that end in -y. Here, if the noun ends in a vowel + -y, the plural is formed by adding -s.

For example, "boy" becomes "boys". However, if the noun ends in a consonant + -y, the plural is formed by changing the -y to -ies. For example, "city" becomes "cities".

There are also nouns that don't follow any of these rules and have irregular plurals. Some examples include "man" becoming "men", "woman" becoming "women", "foot" becoming "feet", "tooth" becoming "teeth" and "mouse" becoming "mice".

In addition to these rules and exceptions, there are also nouns that don't change in the plural form at all, such as "moose", "deer" and "sheep".


Read here for how to form plural possessive nouns.


Plural of Sheep

In conclusion, understanding the history and etymology of the English language, as well as the most common rules for forming plurals, can help us better understand and use this complex language.

While the rules for forming plurals in English can seem daunting at first, with practice and an understanding of the various influences and exceptions, it becomes much easier to master.


Read about the difference between countable and uncountable nouns.

List of Plurals in English

    • What's the plural of axis?

      What's the plural of fish?

      What's the plural of roof?

      What's the plural of bus?

      What's the plural of deer?

      What's the plural of fox?

      What's the plural of leaf?

      What's the plural of hero?

      What's the plural of ox?

      What's the plural of no?

      What's the plural of die?

      What's the plural of calf?

      What's the plural of quiz?

      What's the plural of fly?

      What's the plural of life?

      What's the plural of man?

      What's the plural of loaf?

      What's the plural of elf?

      What's the plural of half?

      What's the plural of hoof?

      What's the plural of spy?

      What's the plural of sir?

      What's the plural of key?

      What's the plural of safe?

      What's the plural of zoo?

      What's the plural of ally?

      What's the plural of loss?

      What's the plural of army?

      What's the plural of kiss?

      What's the plural of mass?

      What's the plural of hair?

      What's the plural of reef?

      What's the plural of lamb?

      What's the plural of cow?

      What's the plural of ibis?

      What's the plural of tuna?

      What's the plural of mom?

      What's the plural of bush?

      What's the plural of veto?

      What's the plural of memo?

      What's the plural of body?

      What's the plural of halo?

      What's the plural of duck?

      What's the plural of mess?

      What's the plural of tax?

      What's the plural of kiwi?

      What's the plural of moss?

      What's the plural of gulf?

      What's the plural of dog?

      What's the plural of toy?

      What's the plural of beau?

      What's the plural of fez?

      What's the plural of logo?

      What's the plural of news?

      What's the plural of fax?

      What's the plural of jury?

      What's the plural of rice?

      What's the plural of chef?

      What's the plural of mine?

      What's the plural of swan?

      What's the plural of day?

      What's the plural of crab?

      What's the plural of navy?

      What's the plural of mink?

      What's the plural of play?

      What's the plural of six?

      What's the plural of cuff?

      What's the plural of menu?

      What's the plural of tray?

      What's the plural of ruby?

      What's the plural of goat?

      What's the plural of boar?

      What's the plural of cod?

      What's the plural of hoax?

      What's the plural of arch?

      What's the plural of emu?

      What's the plural of joy?

      What's the plural of wax?

      What's the plural of shoe?

      What's the plural of bee?

      What's the plural of dove?

      What's the plural of cat?

      What's the plural of book?