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.

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.

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.

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.