Plural

The plural form of a countable noun refers to the fact there is more than one. Mass nouns are not usually used in plural.

• we usually, but not always, add -s: friend – friends; book – books; eye – eyes;

• -es to words ending in -ch/-x/-s/-sh: watch – watches; box – boxes; glass – glasses; dish – dishes;

• -ies to words ending -y: cherry – cherries; sky – skies;

Irregular plurals

For historical reasons a few plurals are irregular.

• No plural. Usually animals - Sheep, swine, deer.

• ves to words ending –f/fe: wife – wives; knife – knives; life – lives; loaf - loaves, but note the following: beliefs, chiefs, dwarfs, gulfs, proofs, roofs).

• en - people and some animals. child – children; man – men; woman - women; ox - oxen.

• others: tooth – teeth;

Note: some nouns ending in -s are mass nouns: measles – a news item – mathematics - physics – politics – a TV series;

See also

• Pronunciation