Frameworks.non.School
Speed-Learning Frameworks for all courses
in a Fragmented Life-Nuggets Mobile-Learning Mode...
Problem-Analyzing-and-Solving in a Leader's Macro-Perspective!
English Grammar - Noun's Plural
Irregular Noun's Singular ➜ Plural Rules
by Mavericks-for-Alexander-the-Great(ATG)
by Mavericks-for-Alexander-the-Great(ATG)
Listing all irregular nouns and their plural forms would be quite extensive, as English contains a significant number of them, many influenced by the language's diverse linguistic roots, including Latin, Germanic, and Norse origins, among others. However, I'll provide a categorized list covering a range of common and some less common irregular nouns to give you a comprehensive overview.
A. Vowel Changes
Man - Men
Woman - Women
Tooth - Teeth
Foot - Feet
Goose - Geese
Mouse - Mice
B. Ending in -f or -fe
Knife - Knives
Life - Lives
Wife - Wives
Leaf - Leaves
Wolf - Wolves
C. Same Singular and Plural
Sheep - Sheep
Fish - Fish (or Fishes, depending on context)
Species - Species
Aircraft - Aircraft
D. Changes in the Middle of the Word
Child - Children
Ox - Oxen
E. Ending in -us
Cactus - Cacti (or Cactuses)
Fungus - Fungi (or Funguses)
Nucleus - Nuclei
F. Ending in -is
Analysis - Analyses
Crisis - Crises
Thesis - Theses
G. Ending in -um
Datum - Data
Medium - Media
Memorandum - Memoranda
H. Ending in -on
Phenomenon - Phenomena
Criterion - Criteria
I. Miscellaneous
Person - People (though "persons" is also used, particularly in legal contexts)
Mouse - Mice
Louse - Lice
Foot - Feet
J. Loanwords and Foreign Plurals
Alumnus - Alumni (masculine or mixed)
Alumna - Alumnae (feminine)
Syllabus - Syllabi
Curriculum - Curricula
K. Irregular by Unusual Changes
Brother - Brothers (or Brethren, in a specific, often religious context)
Die - Dice (when referring to more than one of the gaming objects; "dies" is used for more than one stamping device)
Index - Indexes (or Indices, in mathematical or technical contexts)
Matrix - Matrices (in mathematical contexts; "matrixes" is also used)
Appendix - Appendices (in books; "appendixes" is also used, especially in non-literary contexts)
L. Changes in Ending or Other Parts
Foot - Feet
Goose - Geese
Louse - Lice
Mouse - Mice
Tooth - Teeth
M. Completely Different Plural Form
Child - Children
Person - People (also "persons" in more formal contexts)
Ox - Oxen
Mouse - Mice
N. Foreign Origin with Retained Plural
Bacterium - Bacteria
Curriculum - Curricula
Referendum - Referenda (or "referendums")
Spectrum - Spectra
Thesis - Theses
O. Ends in -o
Potato - Potatoes
Tomato - Tomatoes
Hero - Heroes
Echo - Echoes
Tornado - Tornadoes (or "tornados")
Note: Some nouns ending in -o can add either -s or -es in the plural, depending on specific rules and exceptions.
P. Unique or Rare Cases
Attorney-at-law - Attorneys-at-law
Mother-in-law - Mothers-in-law (and similarly for other "-in-law" relations)
Passerby - Passersby
Man-of-war - Men-of-war
Looker-on - Lookers-on
Q. Nouns Mostly Plural
Scissors - Scissors
Pants - Pants
Glasses (eyeglasses) - Glasses
Clothes - Clothes
R. Classical and Mythological
Atlas - Atlases (or "Atlantes" in architectural contexts)
Beau - Beaux (or "Beaus")
Simulacrum - Simulacra
S. Plural in Form but Singular in Use
News - (used with a singular verb)
Mathematics - (used with a singular verb)
Billiards - (used with a singular verb)
T. Archaic or Lesser-Known Forms
Kine - (old or dialectal plural of cow, very rarely used today)
Eyen - (an archaic plural of eye, largely replaced by eyes)
Housen - (a dialectal plural of house, mostly replaced by houses)
Shoon - (an archaic plural of shoe, replaced by shoes)
Knee - Knees (while "knee" follows a regular pluralization pattern now, older forms like "kneen" or "knees" reflect its varied historical pluralization)
U. Nouns with Variations in Plural Form
Dwarf - Dwarfs (in general use) / Dwarves (popularized in fantasy contexts)
Fish - Fish (general plural) / Fishes (when referring to multiple species)
Formula - Formulas (general use) / Formulae (in scientific contexts)
Appendix - Appendixes (general use) / Appendices (academic or anatomical context)
V. Nouns Rarely Used in Singular
Goggles - (used in plural, refers to eyewear)
Tongs - (used in plural, refers to a gripping device)
Tweezers - (used in plural, refers to a small tool for picking up objects)
Savings - (used in plural, refers to money saved)
Proceeds - (used in plural, refers to money obtained from an event or transaction)
W. Nouns with No Singular Form
Cattle - (used for cows and bulls in general; no singular form, with "cow" or "bull" used for individuals)
Trivia - (used in plural to mean miscellaneous facts; singular "trivium" is rare)
Oats - (used in plural to refer to the grains; singular "oat" is less common)
X. Plural Forms Used for Singular Meaning
Billiards - (refers to the game, singular in meaning but plural in form)
Crossroads - (can be used in singular or plural for an intersection of two or more roads)
Means - (can be singular or plural, depending on context, to refer to a method or methods)
Y. Nouns with Plural Used as Collective Singular
Public - (refers collectively to people in general; singular in meaning, though structurally not plural)
Youth - (can refer to the collective group of young people, singular or plural depending on context)
Z. Special Cases in Pluralization
Aircraft - (singular and plural are the same)
Spacecraft - (singular and plural are the same)
Series - (singular and plural are the same)
Species - (singular and plural are the same)
AA. Plural Forms with Unique Changes or Retained from Other Languages
Alga - Algae (from Latin, referring to more than one type of algae)
Larva - Larvae (from Latin, referring to the immature form of insects and animals)
Vertebra - Vertebrae (from Latin, referring to the bones of the spine)
Corpus - Corpora (from Latin, used in various contexts including bodies of work or the body)
Tableau - Tableaux (from French, referring to vivid descriptive scenes or table representations)
AB. Irregular Plural Forms Based on English Orthography
Quiz - Quizzes (doubling the final consonant before adding -es)
Bus - Buses (though "busses" is sometimes seen, "buses" is the standard plural form)
Gas - Gases (adding -es to words ending in -s)
Marsh - Marshes (adding -es to words ending in -sh)
AC. Nouns with Multiple Acceptable Plural Forms
Appendix - Appendices (academic) / Appendixes (general use)
Index - Indices (in academic or computing contexts) / Indexes (general use)
Stadium - Stadiums (general use) / Stadia (classical or formal contexts)
Crisis - Crises (multiple crises) / Crisis (singular)
AD. Nouns That Are Typically Singular
Information - (no plural form; considered uncountable in standard English)
Advice - (no plural form; considered uncountable in standard English)
Furniture - (no plural form; considered uncountable in standard English)
Luggage - (no plural form; considered uncountable in standard English)
AE. Nouns with Plural Forms but Singular in Use
Physics - (refers to the science, singular in meaning)
Ethics - (can refer to the study of morals, singular in meaning)
Economics - (refers to the science or subject, singular in meaning)
Mathematics - (refers to the field of study, singular in meaning)
AF. Collective Nouns (Varies by Dialect)
Team - Teams (plural in American English, can be singular or plural in British English depending on whether the group is seen as a unit or as individuals)
Government - Governments (plural, though in British English it can take a plural verb despite being singular in form)
Company - Companies (plural, refers to more than one corporation or group)
Family - Families (plural, refers to more than one group related by blood or marriage)
AG. Nouns with No Plural Form or Rarely Used Plurals
Homework - (typically singular, uncountable)
Dust - (typically singular, uncountable, though "dusts" can be used in specific contexts like different types of dust)
Poetry - (considered singular, uncountable)
Music - (considered singular, uncountable)
This list, while extensive, only scratches the surface of the vast array of irregular noun pluralization in English. The variety reflects the language's capacity for adaptation and change, influenced by historical use, linguistic evolution, and the integration of words from other languages.
AH. Nouns with Historical or Archaic Plural Forms
Egg - Eyren (an archaic plural form of "egg" not used in modern English)
Hoe - Hoen (an older plural form of "hoe," now replaced by "hoes")
Pea - Pease (originally a singular mass noun, "pease" was misconstrued as a plural, leading to the creation of the singular "pea")
Die - Dees (an archaic plural of "die," a tool for cutting or shaping; now "dies")
AI. Foreign Borrowings with Retained Plurals
Graffito - Graffiti (while "graffiti" is often used as singular in English, its original Italian plural form is "graffiti," and "graffito" is the singular)
Paparazzo - Paparazzi (borrowed from Italian, where "paparazzi" is the plural of "paparazzo")
Libretto - Libretti (from Italian, referring to the text of an opera or other long vocal work)
Maestro - Maestri or Maestros (from Italian, referring to distinguished musicians or conductors)
AJ. Plural Forms Reflecting Changes in Usage
Craft - Craft or Crafts (used for boats or aircraft; "craft" can serve as both singular and plural)
Dress - Dresses (standard pluralization, but included to demonstrate regular -ss to -sses transition)
Quiz - Quizzes (emphasizing the doubling of the final consonant before adding -es in some English words)
Wish - Wishes (showing a regular change from -sh to -shes)
AK. Specialized Terms with Specific Plurals
Formula - Formulae (in scientific contexts, though "formulas" is acceptable in general use)
Matrix - Matrices (in mathematics and related fields, though "matrixes" is used in general contexts)
Vertex - Vertices (in geometry, though "vertexes" is seen in general use)
Axis - Axes (in mathematics and physical sciences, distinct from "axes," the plural of "axe" or "ax")
AL. Nouns with Plural Used for Singular Concept
News - (always singular in meaning, though appears plural in form)
Billiards - (refers to the game, singular in concept but plural in form)
Gallows - (can be singular or plural, depending on usage, but often singular in meaning)
AM. Collective Nouns with Flexible Singular or Plural Use
Crew - Crews (the collective group can be considered singular or plural based on collective action or individual actions)
Orchestra - Orchestras (singular when referring to the group as a unit, but can lead to plural constructions when emphasizing individual members)
Jury - Juries (singular in legal contexts but can imply plural when considering the members' individual opinions)
AN. Nouns Mostly Used in the Plural Form
Tidings - (used in plural to refer to news or information)
Riches - (used in plural to denote wealth or abundance, without a singular form)
Annals - (historical records or chronicles, always in plural form)
AO. Nouns with No Plural or Singular Distinction
Cod - Cod or Cods (depending on context, can refer to the fish in singular or plural without change)
Salmon - Salmon (singular and plural forms are the same)
Swine - Swine (refers to pigs, with no difference between singular and plural form)
AP. Technical and Scientific Terms with Specific Plurals
Nucleus - Nuclei (emphasizing the Latin origin of the term, used in biology and physics)
Syllabus - Syllabi or Syllabuses (the former adheres to the Latin origin, while the latter conforms to the standard English pluralization pattern)
Fungus - Fungi or Funguses (with "fungi" being the preferred plural in scientific contexts)
Radius - Radii or Radiuses (where "radii" is commonly used in mathematics and physics)
AQ. Archaic or Uncommon Plurals
Vortex - Vortices or Vortexes (with "vortices" preferred in scientific contexts)
Automaton - Automata (referring to self-operating machines, from the Greek)
Stigma - Stigmata (in the context of marks or signs, especially in religious contexts; "stigmas" is used in general contexts)
Tableau - Tableaux (maintaining the French pluralization, though "tableaus" is also accepted)
AR. Borrowed Terms Retaining Original Plurals
Crisis - Crises (demonstrating the Greek origin of the term)
Phenomenon - Phenomena (another term from Greek, widely used in English in both the singular and plural forms)
Criterion - Criteria (yet another example of a Greek-origin term with its plural form widely used in English)
Alumna - Alumnae (for female graduates, retaining the Latin pluralization)
AS. Terms with English and Classical Plurals
Focus - Foci or Focuses (with "foci" used in optics and mathematics, while "focuses" is preferred in general English usage)
Cactus - Cacti or Cactuses (where "cacti" is the plural form from Latin, though "cactuses" is commonly accepted in English)
Thesis - Theses (reflecting its Greek origin, used for statements or theories put forward)
Appendix - Appendices or Appendixes (with "appendices" used for documents and "appendixes" for bodily organs)
AT. Unusual Plurals in English
Mouse - Mice (a common noun with an uncommon pluralization pattern)
Louse - Lice (similar to "mouse" in its irregular plural form)
Tooth - Teeth (reflecting the Old English pattern of vowel change for plurals)
Foot - Feet (another example of the vowel change pluralization pattern from Old English)
AU. Plurals Rarely Used or with Specialized Uses
Genus - Genera (used in biological classification, reflecting its Latin origin)
Opus - Opera (in the context of musical or creative works, not to be confused with the singular form of "opera")
Libretto - Libretti (used for the texts of operas or other musical works, retaining the Italian plural)
Matrix - Matrices (used in mathematics and related disciplines, reflecting its Latin origin)
AV. Nouns with Plural and Singular Forms Used Differently
Fish - Fish or Fishes (with "fish" used for both singular and plural when referring to the same species and "fishes" used when referring to multiple species)
Deer - Deer (used for both singular and plural, with no change in form)
Sheep - Sheep (another example where the singular and plural forms are identical)
Species - Species (singular and plural forms are the same, used in biological classification)