Forming the Plural of Nouns

Nouns ending in -ch, -sh, -s, -ss, -x, or -z form their plural by adding - es

watch - watches

buzz - buzzes​

Most nouns form their plural by adding -s

napkin - napkins

table - tables

plate - plates​

Nouns ending in consonant + y; change y to i + -es

candy - candies

city - cities

library - libraries

Nouns ending in a vowel + y; just add -s

tray - trays

journey - journeys

valley - valleys​

Nouns ending in -o; add -es*

potato - potatoes

tomato - tomatoes

echo - echoes​

Nouns ending in f; change f to v + es*

wife - wives

leaf - leaves

shelf - shelves​

Words in Latin or Greek follow their original plural form.

radius - radii

alumnus - alumni

bacterium - bacteria​

Some nouns form their plural by changing the spelling. (Irregular)

woman - women

tooth - teeth​

child - children​

Some nouns end in -s but are singular in meaning.

mathematics

athletics

politics

news​

Nouns that usually come in pairs are always plural*.

socks

stockings

earrings

jeans​

Some mass nouns need counters to indicate amount.

carts of baggage

drops of blood

slices of bread

trucks of furniture​

Mass nouns (non-count) are always singular.

work

music

jewelry

furniture​

There are some exceptions

basketful - basketfuls

head of department - heads of department

woman driver - women drivers​

Compound nouns; add -s to the main word

mother-in-law - mothers-in-law

officer-in-charge - officers-in-charge

trade union - trade unions​

Small letters; add apostrophe (') + s

b's

p's

f's​

Numbers and capital letters; add -s only

Bs

Ps

4s​