In English, most nouns become plural by adding -s or -es (like cat → cats or box → boxes). But some nouns do not follow this rule. These are called irregular plural nouns. Instead of just adding letters, they change in different ways, sometimes with a completely different spelling. Learning these special plurals is important for using English correctly.
Irregular Noun Plurals: Exceptions to the Rule
Irregular plural nouns are nouns that do not follow the standard rule of adding "-s" or "-es" to form their plural. Instead, they change in different ways. Here are some common patterns of irregular plurals:
1. Changing the Vowel
- Man → Men
- Woman → Women
- Tooth → Teeth
- Foot → Feet
- Goose → Geese
2. Changing the Word Completely
- Child → Children
- Person → People
- Mouse → Mice
- Louse → Lice
3. No Change (Same Singular and Plural)
- Sheep → Sheep
- Deer → Deer
- Fish → Fish (though "fishes" can be used when referring to different species)
- Moose → Moose
4. Foreign Words (Latin/Greek Origin)
- Cactus → Cacti
- Focus → Foci
- Radius → Radii
- Datum → Data
- Analysis → Analyses
- Criterion → Criteria
5. Words Ending in "-f" or "-fe" Changing to "-ves"
- Wolf → Wolves
- Knife → Knives
- Leaf → Leaves
- Life → Lives
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