One ant. Two ants.
Singular nouns describe just one of something. 'Ant' is a singular noun.
Plural nouns describe more than one of something. 'Ants' is a plural noun.
Ok, this is a big topic. But we know you can handle it!
We're going to cover nearly every rule in the English language for turning a singular noun plural! 😺
Let's jump in with the first rule:
To make most singular nouns plural, just add an -s.
dog | dogs
horse | horses
human | humans
Great job! That's one rule down 🤘. Let's keep going.
If a singular noun ends with 'ch', 'sh', 'x', 's', or 'z', add an -es to make it plural.
bus | buses
branch | branches
box | boxes
bush | bushes
If the noun ends with ‑f or ‑fe, the f is usually changed to ‑ve before adding the -s to form the plural version.
wife | wives
half | halves
life | lives
knife | knives
self | selves
shelf | shelves
There are some exceptions to that rule 🙈:
roof | roofs
belief | beliefs
chef | chefs
chief | chiefs
If a singular noun ends in a consonant-y pattern, use the -ies ending.
city | cities
berry | berries
If a singular noun ends in a vowel-y, just add an -s like usual.
toy | toys
day | days
If a singular noun ends with -o, add an -es to make it plural.
potato | potatoes
tomato | tomatoes
Exceptions to the -o rule 🙈:
photo – photos
piano – pianos
halo – halos
If a singular noun ends with -us, the plural is usually -i.
cactus | cacti
If a singular noun ends with -is, the plural is usually -es.
analysis | analyses
Some nouns don't change at all when they're pluralized, like sheep, fish, deer, species, and series.
Some nouns don't follow the rules above. We just have to memorize them:
child – children
man – men
woman – women
tooth – teeth
foot – feet
mouse – mice
person – people
goose – geese
Great job learning to spell plural nouns! That's a big deal. 🎉
Now, try the practice.