List of Peculiar Plurals

Plural Formation Rules

Rule 1: For regular nouns, add -s or -es. (e.g., book → books, box → boxes)

Rule 2: For nouns ending in -f or -fe, change to -ves. (e.g., wolf → wolves)

Rule 3: For words ending in -o, some take -es. (e.g., potato → potatoes)

Rule 4: Irregular nouns completely change spelling. (e.g., child → children, foot → feet)

Rule 5: For Latin/Greek origin nouns, use their plural forms. (e.g., phenomenon → phenomena)

Singular	Plural
Child	Children
Person	People
Foot	Feet
Tooth	Teeth
Mouse	Mice
Cactus	Cacti
Ox	Oxen
Analysis	Analyses
Criterion	Criteria
Phenomenon	Phenomena
Wolf	Wolves
Potato	Potatoes
Goose	Geese
Leaf	Leaves
Index	Indices
Alumnus	Alumni

Practice Questions

1. What is the plural of "Analysis"?
(a) Analysises (b) Analyzes (c) Analyses (d) Analysis

2. Which of the following is correct for "Mouse"?
(a) Mouses (b) Mouse (c) Mices (d) Mice

3. What is the singular form of "Criteria"?
(a) Criteria (b) Criterions (c) Criterion (d) Criterionese

4. Choose the correct plural for "Ox":
(a) Oxes (b) Oxens (c) Ox (d) Oxen

5. Identify the correct plural form of "Phenomenon":
(a) Phenomenons (b) Phenomena (c) Phenomenes (d) Phenomenas