Spelling Plural Nouns

Nouns that take -es:

Nouns ending with -ch, -s, -sh, -x (xe) ,-z (ze), add -es:

• match --> matches
• glass --> glasses
• flash --> flashes
• tax --> taxes
• blaze --> blazes

Nouns that end in -o:

Most add -es:

• hero -->heroes
• potato --> potatoes

There are some exceptions:

• kangaroo --> kangaroos
• piano --> piano
• studio --> studios
• zoo --> zoos

Some can follow either form:

• buffalo --> buffalos or buffaloes
• cargo --> cargos or cargoes
• motto --> mottos or mottoes
• volcano --> volcanos or volcanoes

Nouns ending consonant + -y:

Change -y to -i and add -es:

• Baby --> babies
• Therapy --> therapies

Nouns that end in -f or -fe:

Change the -f to -v and add -es

• Leaf --> leaves
• Shelf --> shelves

NB: There are some exceptions:

• Belief --> beliefs
• Cliff --> cliffs
• Cuff --> cuffs
• Dwarf --> dwarfs
• Gulf --> gulfs
• Roof --> roofs

With loan words

Nouns ending -is:

Change -is to -es

• Analysis --> analyses
• Basis --> bases
• Thesis --> theses

Nouns ending -um:

Either change -um to -a

• Datum --> data
• Forum --> fora

NB- Nowadays, simply adding -s is often used (forums, etc), but less so with technical words, and never with 'datum'.

Nouns ending -on:

Change -on to -a:

• Criterion --> criteria
• Phenomenon --> phenomena

Nouns ending -a:

Add -e:

• Antenna --> anntennae
• Formula --> formulae

Nouns ending -ex or -ix

Replace the last two letter with -ices:

• Appendix --> appendices
• Index --> iindices

Nouns ending -us:

There are two ways we make the plural:

Replace the last two letters with -i:

• Stimulus --> stimuli

Replace the last two letters with -a:

• Corpus --> corpora

Nouns ending -eau:

Add -x

• Bureau --> bureaux