Irregular Plural Nouns! Most nouns form their plurals, or we pluralize most nouns when s is added to the singular, as in dogs. These are called regular nouns. But some nouns can be made plural without adding s to the singular. They don’t end in -s, -es, -ies or -ves. Instead, the word changes form. The nouns that are pluralized in other ways are called irregular nouns. In this article, you’ll learn 80 examples of irregular nouns with their plural forms.
How To Form Plural of Irregular Nouns?
These nouns form their plural in several different ways. The following are some ways we can use to make the plural of irregular nouns.
- Changing a vowel: for example, singular: man, plural: men
- Adding ‘‘ren’’or ‘‘en’’: singular: child, plural: children
- Adding nothing, for example, singular: fish plural: fish
- Changing ‘‘f’’ to‘‘v’’and then adding ‘‘s’’ for example, singular: knife, plural: knives
Some plural nouns are the same as singular nouns but are also included in this list.
80 Examples of Irregular Plural Nouns
| Singular | Plural |
| Addendum | Addenda |
| Alumna (Fern.) | Alumnae |
| Alumnus (Masc.) | Alumni |
| Analysis | Analyses |
| Beef | Beeves |
| Axis | Axes |
| Bison | Bison |
| Antithesis | Antitheses |
| Cannon | Cannon |
| Bacterium | Bacteria |
| Appendix | Appendices |
| Basis | Bases |
| Carp | Carp |
| Cactus | Cacti |
| Cod | Cod |
| Cherub | Cherubim |
| Criterion | Criteria |
| Crisis | Crises |
| Child | Children |
| Chassis | Chassis |
| Chateau | Chateaux |
| Curriculum | Curricula |
| Dormouse | Dormice |
| Deer | Deer |
| Datum | Data |
| Die | Dice |
| Diagnosis | Diagnoses |
| Fungus | Fungi |
| Elf | Elves |
| Emphasis | Emphases |
| Goose | Geese |
| Genius | Genii/ Genera |
| Ellipsis | Ellipses |
| Emphasis | Emphases |
| Foot | Feet |
| Fish | Fish (Fishes— Different Kinds) |
| Focus | Foci/Focuses |
| Genus | Genera |
| Half | Halves |
| Hoof | Hooves |
| Hypothesis | Hypotheses |
| Loaf | Loaves |
| Locus | Loci |
| Knife | Knives |
| Leaf | Leaves |
| Louse | Lice |
| Life | Lives |
| Man | Men |
| Maximum | Maxima |
| Metamorphosis | Metamorphoses |
| Minimum | Minima |
| Malleus | Mallei |
| Mouse | Mice |
| Oasis | Oases |
| Ourself | Ourselves |
| Ox | Oxen |
| Plaice | Plaice |
| Parenthesis | Parentheses |
| Phenomenon | Phenomena |
| Pike | Pike |
| Radius | Radii |
| Reindeer | Reindeer |
| Self | Selves |
| Sheaf | Sheaves |
| Seraph | Seraphim |
| Sheep | Sheep |
| Stadium | Stadia |
| Swine | Swine |
| Synopsis | Synopses |
| Syllabus | Syllabi |
| Synthesis | Syntheses |
| Salmon | Salmon |
| Squid | Squid |
| Terminus | Termini |
| Thesis | Theses |
| Tooth | Teeth |
| Thief | Thieves |
| Turbot | Turbot |
| Trout | Trout |
| Vertebra | Vertebrae |
| Virtuoso | Virtuosi |
| Yourself | Yourselves |
| Wife | Wives |
| Wolf | Wolves |
| Woman | Women |
Related Articles:
- The Noun Number (Singular, Plural) Rules
- The Gender of Nouns (Definition & Rules with Examples)
- 30 Examples of Noun Sentences
- 20 Examples of Noun Sentences in English
- 20 Irregular Plural Nouns Sentences