Spelling Plurals Ending in -s
To make the plural form of a noun, we add -s
Singular (1) | Plural (2+) |
---|---|
book | books |
tree | trees |
Words Ending in 'y'
There are different rules for words ending in 'y' depending on the letter before the 'y'
Words With Consonant + 'y'
If the word ends with a consonant + 'y', you remove the 'y' and add -ies.
Singular (1) | Plural (2+) |
---|---|
baby | babies |
fly | flies |
Words ending in consonant + 'y' usually have an /iː/ or an /аɪ/ sound.
Words With Vowel + 'y'
If the word ends in a vowel + 'y', we just add -s.
Singular (1) | Plural (2+) |
---|---|
tray | trays |
toy | toys |
Vowels are the letters 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', and 'u'. All other letters are consonants.
Words Ending in 'sh', 'ch', 's', 'x', and 'z'
For words ending in 'sh', 'ch', 's', and 'x', we add -es
Singular (1) | Plural (2+) |
---|---|
brush | brushes |
church | churches |
kiss | kisses |
box | boxes |
For words ending in 'z', we double the z and add -es.
Singular (1) | Plural (2+) |
---|---|
quiz | quizzes |
Words Ending in 'o'
For some words ending in 'o' we add -s and for some we add -es.
Singular (1) | Plural (2+) |
---|---|
piano | pianos |
casino | casinos |
Singular (1) | Plural (2+) |
---|---|
potato | potatoes |
tomato | tomatoes |
For words ending in a vowel + 'o', we always add -s.
Singular (1) | Plural (2+) |
---|---|
stereo | stereos |
studio | studios |
If you are not sure whether to add -s or -es, check your dictionary.
Words Ending in 'f' or 'fe'
For many words ending in 'f' and 'fe', we remove the 'f' or 'fe' and add -ves.
Singular (1) | Plural (2+) |
---|---|
leaf | leaves |
wife | wives |
For some words ending in 'f', we just add -s
Singular (1) | Plural (2+) |
---|---|
cliff | cliffs |
proof | proofs |
If you are not sure whether to add -s or -ves, check your dictionary.
Irregular Plurals
These spelling rules only work for regular plural nouns. See the irregular plurals list to learn how to spell irregular plurals.
Learn more about making and using plurals.