100 Singular and Plural Nouns: A Simple Guide for Better English

Introduction

Have you ever been confused about when to use child or children, foot or feet? Don’t worry—you’re not alone! Understanding singular and plural nouns is an important part of learning English. These words help us talk about one thing or many things correctly.

In this blog, we’ll break down the simple rules for forming plurals, share 100 common singular and plural words, and help you avoid common mistakes. Whether you’re a beginner or just want to improve your grammar, this guide will make learning plurals easy and fun. Let’s get started!

What Are Singular and Plural Nouns?

Singular and plural nouns help us talk about numbers in English. A singular noun refers to just one person, place, thing, or idea. A plural noun refers to more than one.

For example:

  • Singular: A cat is sleeping. (Only one cat)
  • Plural: Two cats are playing. (More than one cat)

Most singular nouns become plural by simply adding -s or -es, but some words change completely, like man → men or child → children.

Basic Rules for Forming Plural Nouns

Forming plural nouns in English is easy once you understand the basic rules. Most words just need -s or -es, but some have special changes. Let’s break it down step by step.

1. Add -s to Most Nouns

For most words, simply add -s to make them plural.
Example:

  • Car → Cars
  • Dog → Dogs
  • Book → Books

2. Add -es to Nouns Ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, or -z

If a word ends in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, or -z, add -es to form the plural.
Example:

  • Bus → Buses
  • Box → Boxes
  • Watch → Watches

3. Change -y to -ies (If a Consonant Comes Before -y)

If a noun ends in -y and there’s a consonant before it, change -y to -ies.
Example:

  • Baby → Babies
  • City → Cities
  • Story → Stories

But if there’s a vowel before -y, just add -s.
Example:

  • Boy → Boys
  • Key → Keys

4. Change -f or -fe to -ves

Some words ending in -f or -fe change to -ves in the plural.
Example:

  • Leaf → Leaves
  • Knife → Knives
  • Wolf → Wolves

However, some just take -s (like roof → roofs).

5. Irregular Plurals (Words That Completely Change)

Some words don’t follow any rule and change completely in plural form.
Example:

  • Man → Men
  • Woman → Women
  • Child → Children
  • Foot → Feet
  • Mouse → Mice

6. Words That Stay the Same in Singular and Plural

Some words don’t change at all, whether singular or plural.
Example:

  • Sheep → Sheep
  • Deer → Deer
  • Fish → Fish (though “fishes” is used in scientific terms)

7. Plural of Compound Nouns

For compound words, usually, the main noun takes the plural form.
Example:

  • Brother-in-lawBrothers-in-law
  • Passer-byPassers-by

Singular and Plural Nouns

100 Singular and Plural Nouns (With Examples)

Learning singular and plural nouns is easier when you see them in action. Here’s a list of 100 common nouns and their plural forms, along with examples to help you understand how they are used in sentences.

1. Regular Plural Nouns (-s and -es)

Most nouns simply add -s or -es to form the plural.

  • Dog → Dogs (I have two dogs at home.)
  • Car → Cars (The parking lot is full of cars.)
  • Book → Books (She loves reading books.)
  • Table → Tables (The restaurant has wooden tables.)
  • House → Houses (They built many houses in the town.)
  • Watch → Watches (He collects expensive watches.)
  • Bus → Buses (The city has new electric buses.)
  • Glass → Glasses (She bought two glasses of juice.)
  • Box → Boxes (The gifts are in the boxes.)
  • Church → Churches (There are several churches in this area.)

2. Plurals That Change -y to -ies

If a noun ends in -y with a consonant before it, change -y to -ies.

  • Baby → Babies (The babies are sleeping.)
  • City → Cities (New York and Paris are big cities.)
  • Story → Stories (She tells amazing stories.)
  • Lady → Ladies (The ladies are enjoying tea.)
  • Country → Countries (There are many countries in the world.)
  • Penny → Pennies (I found some pennies on the ground.)
  • Cherry → Cherries (She bought fresh cherries.)
  • Family → Families (The two families became friends.)
  • Party → Parties (We went to three parties last week.)
  • Library → Libraries (Schools have large libraries.)

3. Plurals That Change -f or -fe to -ves

Some nouns ending in -f or -fe change to -ves in plural form.

  • Leaf → Leaves (The autumn leaves are beautiful.)
  • Knife → Knives (She bought two kitchen knives.)
  • Wolf → Wolves (The wolves live in the forest.)
  • Life → Lives (Our lives have changed.)
  • Half → Halves (Cut the apple into halves.)
  • Loaf → Loaves (She baked fresh loaves of bread.)
  • Thief → Thieves (The police caught the thieves.)
  • Shelf → Shelves (The books are on the shelves.)
  • Calf → Calves (The farmer takes care of the calves.)
  • Wife → Wives (The two men talked about their wives.)

4. Irregular Plurals (Completely Different Forms)

Some nouns don’t follow any rule and change completely in plural form.

  • Man → Men (The men are working hard.)
  • Woman → Women (The women are discussing a project.)
  • Child → Children (The children are playing outside.)
  • Foot → Feet (My feet are hurting after a long walk.)
  • Tooth → Teeth (She has white teeth.)
  • Mouse → Mice (Mice ran across the kitchen.)
  • Goose → Geese (Geese fly in the sky.)
  • Person → People (Many people visited the museum.)
  • Louse → Lice (Lice are common in dirty hair.)
  • Ox → Oxen (Farmers use oxen for plowing fields.)

5. Words That Stay the Same in Singular and Plural

Some nouns remain unchanged, whether singular or plural.

  • Sheep → Sheep (The sheep are grazing in the field.)
  • Deer → Deer (We saw a deer in the forest.)
  • Fish → Fish (I caught three fish in the river.)
  • Moose → Moose (Moose are found in cold regions.)
  • Bison → Bison (Bison roam freely in the national park.)
  • Aircraft → Aircraft (The aircraft is ready for takeoff.)
  • Series → Series (I watched two series on Netflix.)
  • Species → Species (Many species of birds live here.)
  • Salmon → Salmon (They love eating salmon.)
  • Trout → Trout (Trout swim in fresh water.)

6. Plural of Compound Nouns

In compound words, the main noun takes the plural form.

  • Brother-in-law → Brothers-in-law (I have two brothers-in-law.)
  • Passer-by → Passers-by (Many passers-by stopped to watch.)
  • Mother-in-law → Mothers-in-law (Their mothers-in-law are friends.)
  • Attorney-general → Attorneys-general (Two attorneys-general attended the meeting.)
  • Commander-in-chief → Commanders-in-chief (The commanders-in-chief made the decision.)

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even advanced English learners sometimes make mistakes with singular and plural nouns. Here are three of the most common errors and simple ways to avoid them.

1. Adding -s to Irregular Plurals

Some nouns don’t follow the regular plural rules, but many people still try to add -s to them.

Wrong: She has two childs.
Correct: She has two children.

Wrong: I saw three mouses in the house.
Correct: I saw three mice in the house.

How to Avoid It: Memorize common irregular plurals like man → men, woman → women, tooth → teeth, and mouse → mice.

2. Forgetting to Change -y to -ies

Nouns ending in -y after a consonant change to -ies in the plural form, but many learners just add -s instead.

Wrong: We visited five citys last year.
Correct: We visited five cities last year.

Wrong: I love reading different storys.
Correct: I love reading different stories.

How to Avoid It: If a noun ends in -y and there’s a vowel before it (like boy → boys), just add -s. But if there’s a consonant before it (like city → cities), change -y to -ies.

3. Using Singular Forms for Uncountable Nouns

Some nouns, like water, advice, furniture, and information, are uncountable and don’t take an -s in plural form. Many learners mistakenly add -s to them.

Wrong: She gave me many advices.
Correct: She gave me a lot of advice.

Wrong: I bought two furnitures for my house.
Correct: I bought two pieces of furniture for my house.

How to Avoid It: Uncountable nouns don’t have a plural form. Instead of adding -s, use words like some, a lot of, pieces of, or a little to describe quantity.

Singular and Plural Nouns in Daily Conversations

We use singular and plural nouns every day without even thinking about them. Whether you’re ordering food, talking about family, or making plans with friends, knowing how to use these nouns correctly makes your English sound natural and clear.

1. Talking About Everyday Objects

When we talk about things around us, we often use singular and plural nouns.

  • Singular: I lost my key.

  • Plural: I lost my keys.

  • Singular: Where is my shoe?

  • Plural: Where are my shoes?

Tip: Be careful with words like scissors, jeans, and glasses. They are always plural!

2. Ordering Food

At restaurants or cafes, singular and plural nouns help you place the right order.

  • Singular: I’d like a burger and a soda, please.

  • Plural: We’ll have two burgers and three sodas.

  • Singular: Can I get a slice of pizza?

  • Plural: Let’s share a few slices of pizza.

Tip: Some food items, like bread, rice, and water, are uncountable. Instead of saying two breads, say two loaves of bread or two cups of rice.

3. Talking About Family and Friends

We often use plural nouns when discussing family members or groups of people.

  • Singular: My brother lives in New York.

  • Plural: My brothers live in New York.

  • Singular: She is my friend.

  • Plural: They are my friends.

Tip: People is the plural form of person, so never say two persons—say two people instead.

4. Making Plans

When discussing schedules or events, we switch between singular and plural nouns.

  • Singular: I have a meeting today.

  • Plural: I have three meetings this week.

  • Singular: Let’s watch a movie tonight.

  • Plural: We watched two movies last weekend.

Tip: Some nouns, like news and advice, stay singular. You don’t say newses or advices. Instead, say some news or a piece of advice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are some common irregular plural nouns I should know?

Irregular plural nouns don’t follow the usual rule of adding -s or -es. Here are some common ones:

  • Man → Men
  • Woman → Women
  • Child → Children
  • Foot → Feet
  • Tooth → Teeth
  • Mouse → Mice
  • Goose → Geese

2. Why don’t some words have a plural form?

Some nouns, like water, advice, furniture, news, and rice, are uncountable, meaning they don’t have a plural form. Instead of adding -s, we use phrases like:

  • A piece of furniture (not furnitures)
  • Some advice (not “advices”)
  • A bottle of water (not waters)