How to Write the Plural Form for Each Noun
Numerous rules and exceptions apply within English language spelling. While some words follow the spelling guidelines precisely, others tend to stray from the rules and require memorization. Creating plural nouns varies greatly from word to word. Learning the methods to write the plural form of each noun will increase your vocabulary and spelling skills.
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Instructions
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Check the ending of the noun. Look at the last letter in the word. The ending will determine the rules for creating plurals.
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Add an s to the end of the word if the noun does not end with "ch," s, y, o, f or "fe." For example, you would add an s to the ball but not to the word bus.
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Place "es" on the end of the word if the ending is "ch", x or s and sometimes o. The words "potato" and "hero" get "es" added to the end to make a plural. However, "memo" and "stereo" only have an s added to the end to form the plural.
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Examine to see if the noun should have an irregular plural form. These are words that take on a completely new spelling when they become plural. Examples are "mouse" to "mice," "child" to "children," "woman" to "women," "man" to "men," goose to geese and person to people.
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Keep the word the same if the plural form does not change the spelling of the noun. This occurs with words such as "deer" and "barracks" where the singular and plural forms are exactly the same.
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Replace the y with i and add "es" when pluralizing words ending with y. This applies to nouns such as "baby," "gallery" and "reality."
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Convert back to the Greek or Latin form when working with some nouns in plural form. Nouns such as "fungus," "cactus," "index" and "nucleus" all take on forms of their origin. These words become "fungi," "cacti," "indices" and "nuclei."
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Tips & Warnings
Some plural nouns are acceptable in more than one spelling or form. Cacti and cactuses are both acceptable. Appendices, appendixes, indices and indexes are other examples of dual plural forms.
References
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