Plural nouns: -es, -ies and special forms
Short answer: Most nouns add -s, but some need a different ending. Add -es after s, x, sh and ch (bus → buses). Change consonant + y to -ies (baby → babies). A few nouns are special and change inside or stay the same: foot → feet, mouse → mice, sheep → sheep.
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At a glance
| Ending of the noun | Plural | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| s, x, sh, ch | add -es | bus → buses, box → boxes, dish → dishes, watch → watches |
| consonant + y | y → -ies | baby → babies, city → cities |
| vowel + y | add -s | boy → boys, day → days |
| special nouns | learn each one | man → men, woman → women, foot → feet, tooth → teeth, mouse → mice, person → people |
In short
- Add -es after s, x, sh and ch.
- Consonant + y: change y to -ies.
What is the rule for “Plurals: -es, -ies and special nouns”?
The rule
Some nouns need -es or -ies. Some are special.
How it looks
What it means
The plural still means more than one.
When to use it
Use these forms after two, three and many.
How it works
- Look at the last letters of the noun. Ends in s, x, sh or ch? Add -es, so it is easy to say.
- Ends in a consonant + y? Drop the y and add -ies: baby → babies. A vowel before the y (boy, day) just takes -s.
- Some very common nouns are special. You learn them one by one, because they do not follow a rule.
- A few nouns do not change: sheep, fish, deer. You tell from the sentence: Two sheep are here.
Examples of “Plurals: -es, -ies and special nouns”
- I see two boxes.
box ends in x: add -es. - Three babies sleep.
baby ends in a consonant + y: baby → babies. - My feet are big.
foot → feet. This noun changes inside. - I see five sheep.
sheep stays sheep. - The buses are late.
bus ends in s: buses. - She has two sisters and three brothers.
Regular nouns add -s: sisters, brothers. - The babies like music.
baby ends in consonant + y: babies. - Many people live in this city.
person has a special plural: people.
Common mistakes with “Plurals: -es, -ies and special nouns”
three sheeps→ three sheep
sheep does not change.two boxs→ two boxes
Words that end in x take -es.I have two watchs.→ I have two watches.
watch ends in ch, so we add -es.There are two babys.→ There are two babies.
baby ends in consonant + y, so y changes to -ies.
Exceptions: watch out
- boy → boys
A vowel (a, e, i, o, u) before y: just add -s. boys, days. - One word, many words
fish can stay fish: one fish, two fish.
Regular and special plurals
Most nouns follow a rule. A small group of very common nouns do not, so it is worth learning them well.
| Pattern | One | Many |
|---|---|---|
| add -s | cat | cats |
| add -es | box | boxes |
| y → -ies | city | cities |
| special | tooth | teeth |
| no change | sheep | sheep |
See also: One and many: plural -s
Check yourself
- What is the plural of “box”?
Show the answer
boxes box ends in x, so we add -es.
- What is the plural of “day”?
Show the answer
days A vowel (a) comes before the y, so we only add -s.
- What is the plural of “mouse”?
Show the answer
mice mouse is a special noun that changes inside.
How to practice “Plurals: -es, -ies and special nouns”
The interactive version adds step-by-step help, spoken instructions and a quick check. One rule card, one sound lesson and the first lesson of every stone are free to try; the rest is part of Full Access. See Full Access.
- Practice lesson: Plurals: -es, -ies and special nouns
Questions
Why do we add -es and not just -s?
After s, x, sh and ch, the plural -s is hard to say. Adding -es gives an extra syllable that makes the word easy to pronounce: bus → buses.
Is there a rule for words ending in -o?
Not a simple one. Many add -s (photos, pianos) and some add -es (potatoes, tomatoes). Check a dictionary when you are not sure.
Do nouns that stay the same, like “sheep”, always stay the same?
Yes. Sheep is both singular and plural. Look at the verb or the number to know: one sheep is here, two sheep are here.
More Grammar Foundations rules
- Naming words: nouns: A noun is a naming word. It names a person, an animal, a place or a thing.
- A or An?: Before one thing, say a or an. Choose by the first sound.
- One and many: plural -s: For more than one thing, add -s: one cat, two cats.
- this, that, these, those: Use this and these for things near you. Use that and those for things far away.
- I am, you are, it is: Use am with I, are with you and is with it.
- he, she, it, we, they + is / are: A pronoun takes the place of a name. Use is with he, she and it. Use are with we, you and they.
Part of the 📘 Grammar tool. Level G1: Grammar Foundations. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.
Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30