Singular and Plural Nouns
Most English nouns have two forms: singular (one) and plural (more than one). Learning the rules — and the exceptions — is a key step in building accurate sentences.
Singular and plural: the basics
A singular noun refers to one person, place, thing, or idea. A plural noun refers to more than one. In English, the plural is usually formed by changing the ending of the singular noun.
one cat → two cats
one city → three cities
one child → many children
Regular plurals: the main rules
Most nouns follow one of these predictable patterns.
| Rule | Ending | Plural form | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most nouns | any | add -s | cat → cats, book → books, dog → dogs |
| Nouns ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -z | -s / -ss / -sh / -ch / -x / -z | add -es | bus → buses, dish → dishes, church → churches, box → boxes |
| Nouns ending in consonant + y | -consonant + y | change y → ies | city → cities, baby → babies, party → parties |
| Nouns ending in vowel + y | -vowel + y | add -s | day → days, key → keys, boy → boys |
| Nouns ending in -f or -fe | -f / -fe | change f → ves | leaf → leaves, knife → knives, wolf → wolves |
| Nouns ending in -o | -o | add -es (usually) | tomato → tomatoes, potato → potatoes, hero → heroes |
| Nouns ending in -o (exceptions) | -o | add -s | photo → photos, piano → pianos, radio → radios |
The boxes are on the shelves.
Three babies were born in the village last week.
She put the knives and forks on the table.
Irregular plurals
Some nouns do not follow any of the regular rules. These irregular plurals must be memorised.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| man | men | child | children |
| woman | women | person | people |
| tooth | teeth | mouse | mice |
| foot | feet | goose | geese |
| ox | oxen | louse | lice |
Nouns with the same singular and plural form
Some nouns look identical in both forms. The context or a number word tells you whether one or many are meant.
| Noun | Singular use | Plural use |
|---|---|---|
| sheep | There is one sheep in the field. | There are fifty sheep in the field. |
| fish | I caught a fish. | I caught six fish. |
| deer | A deer crossed the road. | Three deer crossed the road. |
| species | This species is rare. | Two species were found. |
| aircraft | The aircraft landed. | Five aircraft landed. |
Nouns that are always plural
Some nouns exist only in the plural form and always take a plural verb. Many refer to items with two matching parts.
- Clothing with two parts: trousers, jeans, shorts, tights, pyjamas
- Tools with two parts: scissors, glasses, binoculars, pliers, tweezers
- Other always-plural nouns: thanks, congratulations, outskirts, remains, surroundings
My glasses are on the table. (not: My glasses is...)
These trousers are too long. (not: This trousers is...)
The scissors need sharpening.
Tip: To talk about one of these "always plural" items, use a pair of: a pair of scissors, a pair of trousers, a pair of glasses. The verb then becomes singular: A pair of trousers is on sale.
Nouns borrowed from Latin and Greek
Many academic and scientific words keep their original Latin or Greek plural forms. These are common in formal writing.
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| analysis | analyses | criterion | criteria |
| basis | bases | phenomenon | phenomena |
| thesis | theses | datum | data |
| syllabus | syllabi | medium | media |
| cactus | cacti | index | indices / indexes |
Watch out: Data and media are technically plural (datum / medium are the singulars), though data is now widely accepted as singular in everyday English. In formal and academic writing, treat them as plural: The data show... / The media are...
Singular nouns used with plural verbs
In British English, collective nouns like team, government, family can take either a singular or plural verb depending on whether the group is acting as one unit or as individuals.
The team is ready. (acting as one unit)
The team are arguing among themselves. (acting as individuals — British English)
The government has announced new plans.