Most of the English plural nouns can be formed by adding –s to the singular as in boy – boys. But the moment we begin to think of irregular plurals of English nouns, we are stepping into troubled waters. The following questions often land even the most experienced of English teachers in trouble:
- Is chicken the plural of chick?
- Is the word media singular or plural?
- Is it son-in-laws or sons-in-law?
- Is syllabuses the plural of syllabus?
Well, irregular plurals are those that are not formed by adding –s at the end. This article is an attempt to remove all the doubts regarding irregular plurals in English. You can search the following list of irregular plurals of English nouns to find the singular and plural forms of confusing nouns.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| abyss | abysses |
| addendum | addenda |
| agendum | agenda/agendas |
| agent provocateur | agents provocateurs |
| aide-de-camp | aides-de-camp |
| alga | algae |
| alumna | alumnae |
| alumnus | alumni |
| analysis | analyses |
| anathema | anathemata/anathemas |
| antenna | antennas, antennae |
| apparatus | apparatuses |
| appendix | appendices, appendixes |
| aquarium | aquaria, aquariums |
| arch | arches |
| atlas | atlases |
| attorney general | attorneys general |
| axe | axes |
| axis | axes |
| baby | babies |
| bacillus | bacilli |
| bacterium | bacteria |
| basis | bases |
| batch | batches |
| beau | beaux |
| beau geste | beaux gestes/beau gestes |
| bel-homme | beaux hommes |
| belle epoque | belles epoques/belle epoques |
| bildungsroman | bildungsromane |
| bill of attainder | bills of attainder |
| biscotto | biscotti |
| bison | bison |
| bon mot | bons mots/bon mots |
| bon vivant | bons vivants/bon vivants |
| brother | brothers/brothren |
| brush | brushes |
| buffalo | buffalos, buffaloes |
| bureau | bureaus, bureaux |
| bus | busses, buses |
| cactus | cactuses, cacti |
| calf | calves |
| candelabrum | candelabra/candelabras |
| canto | cantos |
| cat-o'-nine-tails | cat-o'-nine-tails |
| chateau | chateaux, chateaus |
| cherry | cherries |
| chick | chicks |
| chicken | chickens |
| child | children |
| church | churches |
| circus | circuses |
| city | cities |
| cod | cod, cods |
| copy | copies |
| corps | corps |
| corpus | corpora, corpuses |
| coup d'etat | coups d'etat |
| court martial | courts martial |
| cri du coeur | cris du coeur |
| crisis | crises |
| criterion | criteria |
| curriculum | curricula |
| datum | data |
| deer | deer |
| diagnosis | diagnoses |
| die | dice |
| director general | directors general |
| dogma | dogmata/dogmas |
| domino | dominoes |
| Dukhobor | Dukhobortsy |
| dwarf | dwarfs, dwarves |
| echo | echoes |
| elf | elves |
| ellipsis | ellipses |
| embargo | embargoes |
| emphasis | emphases |
| entente cordiale | ententes cordiales |
| erratum | errata |
| fait accompli | faits accomplis |
| fax | faxes |
| fee simple absolute | fees simple absolute |
| fireman | firemen |
| fish | fish, fishes |
| flush | flushes |
| fly | flies |
| focus | foci, focuses |
| foot | feet |
| formula | formulae, formulas |
| fungus | fungi, funguses |
| gens | gentes |
| genu | genua |
| genus | genera |
| goose | geese |
| governor-general | governors-general |
| graffito | graffiti |
| half | halves |
| hallux | halluces |
| ham on rye | hams on rye/ham-on-ryes |
| head of state | heads of states/heads of state |
| hero | heroes |
| hetero | heteros |
| hippopotamus | hippopotami, hippopotamuses |
| hoax | hoaxes |
| holluschik | holluschikie |
| hoof | hoofs, hooves |
| hypothesis | hypotheses |
| idee fixe | idees fixes |
| index | indices, indexes |
| insigne | insignia/insignias |
| iris | irises |
| iter | itinera |
| jack-in-the-box | jacks-in-the-box/jack-in-the-boxes |
| jack-in-the-pulpit | jacks-in-the-pulpit/jack-in-the-pulpits |
| jack-o'-lantern | jack-o'-lanterns |
| kimono | kimonos |
| kiss | kisses |
| knife | knives |
| krone | kroner |
| lady | ladies |
| leaf | leaves |
| lemma | lemmata/lemmas |
| life | lives |
| loaf | loaves |
| louse | lice |
| man | men |
| man-about-town | men-about-town |
| man-child | men-children |
| mango | mangoes |
| man-of-war | men-of-war |
| manservant | menservants |
| matrix | matrices, matrixes |
| matzo | matzoth |
| means | means |
| medium | media |
| memorandum | memoranda |
| mess | messes |
| millennium | millenniums, millennia |
| minister-president | ministers-president |
| moose | moose |
| mosquito | mosquitoes |
| motto | mottoes |
| mouse | mice |
| nanny | nannies |
| nebula | nebulae, nebulas |
| neurosis | neuroses |
| never-was | never-weres |
| nucleus | nuclei |
| oasis | oases |
| octopus | octopi, octopuses |
| offspring | offspring |
| opus | opera/operas |
| ornis | ornithes |
| ovum | ova |
| ox | oxen |
| panino | panini/paninis |
| paparazzo | paparazzi |
| paralysis | paralyses |
| parenthesis | parentheses |
| pass | passes |
| passerby | passersby |
| penny | pennies |
| person | people |
| phenomenon | phenomena |
| photo | photos |
| piano | pianos |
| plateau | plateaus, plateaux |
| poppy | poppies |
| portico | porticos |
| potato | potatoes |
| pro | pros |
| procurator fiscal | procurators fiscal |
| quadrans | quadrantes |
| quarto (paper size) | quartos |
| quiz | quizzes |
| radius | radii, radiuses |
| reflex | reflexes |
| rubai | rubaiyat |
| runner-up | runners-up |
| scarf | scarfs, scarves |
| schema | schemata/schemas |
| scissors | scissors |
| scratch | scratches |
| scrotum | scrota, scrotums |
| self | selves |
| seraph | seraphim |
| series | series |
| sheaf | sheaves |
| sheep | sheep |
| shelf | shelves |
| ship of the line | ships of the line |
| shtetl | shtetlach |
| son of a bitch | sons of bitches/sons-of-a-bitch |
| son-in-law | sons-in-law |
| spaghetto | spaghettis/paghetti |
| species | species |
| splash | splashes |
| spy | spies |
| stigma | stigmata/stigmas |
| stimulus | stimuli |
| stitch | stitches |
| stoma | stomata/stomas |
| story | stories |
| stratum | strata |
| syllabus | syllabi, syllabuses |
| symposium | symposia, symposiums |
| synopsis | synopses |
| synthesis | syntheses |
| tableau | tableaux, tableaus |
| tax | taxes |
| tete-a-tete | tete-a-tetes |
| that | those |
| thesis | theses |
| thief | thieves |
| this | these |
| tomato | tomatoes |
| tooth | teeth |
| tornado | tornadoes |
| torpedo | torpedoes |
| torte | torten |
| tour de force | tours de force |
| try | tries |
| ushabti | ushabtiu |
| vas | vasa |
| vertebra | vertebrae |
| veto | vetoes |
| vita | vitae |
| volcano | volcanoes |
| waltz | waltzes |
| wharf | wharves |
| wife | wives |
| will-o'-the-wisp | will-o'-the-wisps |
| wolf | wolves |
| woman | women |
| woman doctor | women doctors |
| wunderkind | wunderkinder |
| yeshiva | yeshivoth |
| zecchino | zecchini |
| zero | zeros, zeroes |