30+ Plural Noun Examples

Plural nouns are words that refer to more than one person, place, thing, or idea. Unlike singular nouns that name just one item, plural nouns show that there are multiple items. To make most nouns plural, we add an “s” or “es” at the end. For example, “apple” becomes “apples,” and “box” turns into “boxes.” There are also some irregular nouns that change their spelling completely when they become plural, such as “child” to “children.” Understanding plural nouns helps us talk about more than one object at a time, making our communication clearer and more effective.

What are Plural Nouns?

Plural nouns refer to groups or multiples of something, distinguishing them from singular nouns that denote just one item. For instance, when talking about more than one apple, we say “apples” instead of “apple.” In English, we generally form plurals by adding an “s” or “es” to the end of the word, though some words have unique plural forms, such as “child” becoming “children.”

Types of Plural Nouns

1. Regular Plurals

Most nouns become plural by simply adding an “s” or “es” to the end of the word.

• Example: “book” becomes “books,” and “box” becomes “boxes.”

2. Irregular Plurals

These nouns change their spelling entirely when they become plural, not following the standard rules.

• Example: “man” changes to “men,” and “mouse” changes to “mice.”

3. Plurals with Vowel Changes

Some nouns change their internal vowels instead of their endings when they turn plural.

• Example: “foot” becomes “feet,” and “tooth” becomes “teeth.”

4. Plurals Ending in -y

If a noun ends in a consonant followed by “y,” you change the “y” to “ies” to make it plural. However, if the “y” follows a vowel, you just add “s.”

• Example: “city” becomes “cities,” but “day” becomes “days.”

5. Plurals Ending in -f or -fe

Some nouns ending in “f” or “fe” change to “ves” in the plural form.

• Example: “leaf” becomes “leaves,” and “knife” becomes “knives.”

Examples of Plural Nouns

1. Apple – Apples
2. Car – Cars
3. Brush – Brushes
4. City – Cities
5. Baby – Babies
6. Church – Churches
7. Dish – Dishes
8. Cherry – Cherries
9. Box – Boxes
10. Lady – Ladies
11. Man – Men
12. Woman – Women
13. Child – Children
14. Tooth – Teeth
15. Foot – Feet
16. Mouse – Mice
17. Goose – Geese
18. Leaf – Leaves
19. Knife – Knives
20. Life – Lives
21. Thief – Thieves
22. Potato – Potatoes
23. Tomato – Tomatoes
24. Wife – Wives
25. Focus – Foci
26. Fungus – Fungi
27. Nucleus – Nuclei
28. Crisis – Crises
29. Phenomenon – Phenomena
30. Analysis – Analyses

Plural Noun Rules

1. Standard Plurals

Add an “s” to most singular nouns to form the plural.

2. Nouns Ending in S, X, Z, CH, SH

For nouns ending in s, x, z, ch, or sh, add “es” to make them plural.

3. Nouns Ending in Y

If a noun ends in a consonant before y, change the y to “ies” for the plural. If a vowel precedes the y, simply add “s.”

4. Nouns Ending in F or FE

Change f or fe to “ve” and add “s” to form the plural in some cases.

5. Irregular Plurals

Some nouns change completely in their plural form.

6. Nouns Ending in O

Add “es” to some nouns ending in o, but only add “s” to others, depending on the word.

7. No Change Plurals

Some nouns remain the same in both singular and plural forms.

8. Foreign Nouns

Nouns borrowed from other languages often retain their original plural forms.

How To Use Plural Noun in a Sentence

Tips for Using Plural Nouns

1. Master Basic Rules: Learn how to form plurals by adding “s,” “es,” or changing “y” to “ies,” and recognize irregular plural forms.
2. Ensure Verb Agreement: Match verbs with plural nouns correctly; plural nouns require plural verbs.
3. Memorize Irregular Forms: Keep a list of irregular plural nouns such as “children,” “men,” and “women” for easy reference.
4. Use Correct Pronouns: Pair plural nouns with plural pronouns like “they,” “them,” “their,” or “these.”
5. Practice with Quantifiers: Use quantifiers that require plural nouns, such as “many,” “few,” and “several.”
6. Avoid Double Plurals: Do not add “s” to plural nouns that are already plural, like “data,” “media,” and “criteria.”
7. Understand Collective Nouns: Recognize when collective nouns like “team” or “group” are used as singular or plural based on the context.
8. Proofread for Consistency: Check your text for consistency in plural noun usage, especially in longer documents.