1. The rules and the exceptions.
Plural Nouns
The rules
and the exceptions.

2. Add –s to most nouns skateboard – skateboards painting – paintings
ticket – tickets
bee - bees

3. Add –es to nouns that end with a hissing sound (s, ss, sh, ch, x, z, zz)
wrench – wrenches
walrus – walruses
compass - compasses
toolbox – toolboxes
buzz of bees - buzzes of bees

4. Add –s to most nouns that end in o preceded by a vowel or consonant
Words that follow the rule:
Exceptions to the rule:
radio – radios
piano – pianos
auto – autos
igloo – igloos
potato – potatoes
tomato - tomatoes
echo – echoes
hero – heroes
jingo – jingoes
no – noes

5. More o exceptions: Some nouns ending with the letter o preceded by a consonant can form the plural two ways
zero - zeros or zeroes
buffalo – buffalos or buffaloes
cargo – cargos or cargoes
desperado – desperados or desperadoes
halo – halos or haloes
mosquito – mosquitos or mosquitoes

6. When a noun ends in y monkey – monkeys butterfly – butterflies
If a vowel comes before the y, just add -s
If a consonant comes before the y, change the y to i and add es
butterfly – butterflies
flurry – flurries
deputy – deputies
battery – batteries
dairy - dairies
monkey – monkeys
alley – alleys
play – plays
turkey - turkeys

7. Nouns Ending in f, fe, ff surf - surfs giraffe – giraffes
Just add –s to a few nouns that end in f, fe, ff
For most nouns ending in f, fe, or ff, change the f to -ves
calf - calves
elf - elves
half - halves
knife - knives
life - lives
loaf - loaves
self - selves (ourselves, yourselves, themselves)
shelf - shelves
thief - thieves
wife - wives
surf - surfs
giraffe – giraffes
cliff – cliffs
belief – beliefs
safe – safes
chef – chefs
ref - refs

8. MORE...Nouns Ending in f, fe, ff
For some nouns ending in ife, change the f to a v and then add -s
Some nouns ending in f, fe, ff have two forms of the plural
wife - wives
life - lives
knife - knives
dwarf - dwarfs or dwarves
hoof - hoofs or hooves
scarf - scarfs or scarves
staff - staffs or staves
wharf - wharfs or wharves

9. Nouns Ending in i ski – skis alibi-alibis khaki-khakis rabbi-rabbis
Some nouns ending with the letter i form the plural both by adding s and/or es
Most nouns that end in i form the plural by adding the letter s.
ski – skis
alibi-alibis
khaki-khakis
rabbi-rabbis
taxi-taxis-taxies
alkali-alkalis-alkalies
chili-chilies

10. Nouns That Have Irregular Plural Forms
Some nouns change their vowels in the middle of the singular form when forming the plural
Compounds of words man and woman form plurals the same way:
goose – geese
foot - feet
louse - lice
man - men
mouse - mice
tooth - teeth
woman – women
mailman - mailmen

11. More... Nouns That Have Irregular Plural Forms
Some words with descriptive adjectives and hyphens form the plural by adding the correct affix to the noun portion of the word.
Several nouns form the plural by adding the letters -en
child - children
ox - oxen
father-in-law/fathers-in law
mother-in-law /mothers-in-law
brother-in-law/ brothers-in-law
sister-in-law /sisters-in-law
attorney-general /attorneys-general

12. Even More... Nouns That Have Irregular Plural Forms
There are a number of animals that have the same singular and plural form:
There are also some animal names that form the plural using -s or -es form:
bison - bison
deer - deer
moose - moose
sheep - sheep
swine - swine
antelope - antelope or antelopes
cod - cod or cods
elk - elk or elks
fish - fish or fishes
flounder - flounder or flounders
grouse - grouse or grouses
herring - herring or herrings
quail - quail or quails
reindeer - reindeer or reindeers
salmon - salmon or salmons
shrimp - shrimp or shrimps
trout - trout or trouts

13. If all else fails...
Use a dictionary or spell check!