Overview
In order to form a plural noun from a singular noun, grammatical rules are followed. The way the plural is formed often depends on the way the singular noun is spelled, whether it ends in a consonant or a vowel.
Regular Plurals
Many nouns form plurals by adding –s to the singular form. For example, the plural of the word bank is banks, the plural of letter is letters, and so on. Some nouns that end in the letter o preceded by a vowel, such as radio, studio, and patio also form plurals by merely adding –s, such as radios, studios, and patios.
Plurals with an Extra Syllable
Nouns form plurals ending in –es if the singular noun ends in the letter s, sh, ch, x, or z. The plural adds an extra syllable to the word. For example, boss becomes bosses, wish becomes wishes, church becomes churches, hoax becomes hoaxes, and waltz becomes waltzes. If the singular noun ends in the letter o preceded by a consonant, such as hero or veto, the plural form ends in –es, but the singular noun already has more than one syllable, such as heroes or vetoes.
Plurals that Change Spelling
Some plurals have a different spelling than the singular noun form. Some singular nouns that end in –f or –fe change to –v and add –es to form the plural. For example, calf becomes calves, knife becomes knives, leaf becomes leaves, and thief becomes thieves. Nouns that end in –y preceded by a consonant change the y to i and add es, so that baby becomes babies, family becomes families, and party becomes parties. Still other nouns change their spelling entirely so foot becomes feet, tooth becomes teeth, man becomes men, woman becomes women, and mouse becomes mice.
Plurals That Do Not Change
Some nouns are the same whether they are singular or plural. For example, one sheep becomes many sheep, one moose becomes more than one moose, one deer becomes a herd of deer, one salmon spawns a stream full of salmon, and one aircraft becomes a flock of aircraft. Similarly, the words scissors, pants, and scales are always plural.
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