Plurals
ADDING -S OR -ES. For most nouns, add -s. For words ending in s, ch, sh, x, or z, add -es.
| pencil, pencils | church, churches | bus, buses |
In general, add -s to nouns ending in o if the o is preceded by a vowel. Add -es if the o is preceded by a consonant.
| rodeo, rodeos | patio, patios | potato, potatoes | hero, heroes |
For some nouns ending in f or fe, change f to v, and add -s or -es.
| calf, calves | life, lives | hoof, hooves |
For compound nouns written as separate or hyphenated words, make the most important part plural, whether or not it is the last part of the compound.
| lieutenant governors | brothers-in-law |
For plurals of numbers and words used as terms, see 38c.