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Irregular Nouns
When we pluralize nouns to show that there is more than one, we usually follow certain rules in order for this to happen, such as adding -s or -es to the end of the word. Often though, there are words that just don’t like to follow those rules.
What Is an Irregular Noun?
Irregular nouns are those that don’t fit the standard rules when making them plural. As always, there are exceptions to these spelling rules as well, so you will need to be familiar with them.
| Singular | Plural | Exception | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| man | men | Replace letters | woman | women |
| child | children | Change spelling | person mouse | people mice |
| deer | deer | Same in both singular and plural | sheep | sheep |
| fish | fish | series | series | |
| gold | gold | Always singular | silver | silver |
| flour | flour | sugar | sugar | |
| scissors | scissors | Always plural | pants | pants |
| glasses | glasses | trousers | trousers | |
| brother-in-law | brothers-in-law | Used with modifiers - ALWAYS CHANGE THE NOUN | guest of honor | Guests of honor |
| daughter-in-law | daughters-in-law | Minister of education | Ministers of education |
While it’s difficult to memorize every single irregular noun in the English language, it is very likely that you will naturally learn them over time as you read and speak and listen to other native speakers use the language. Never be upset if someone corrects you as well, because you’re always learning and refining your use of English.
