Hey there! Have you ever noticed that some English nouns don't follow the usual pattern of adding "-s" to form their plural? These nouns are called irregular plural nouns and they can be a bit tricky to learn. But don't worry, they're not so weird once you know why they exist. In fact, most of them are really old words that have been around for a long time, and over time their plural form has evolved into something different. Cool, right? Let's take a closer look!
In the following list, I will be sharing some of the most common examples of irregular plural
nouns in English.
Person: /ˈpɜːrsən/ (per-son), plural: people /ˈpiːpl/ (pee-pl), pronunciation of plural: /ˈpiːpl/ (pee-pl), translation in Spanish: persona / personas.
Man: /mæn/ (man), plural: men /men/ (men), pronunciation of plural: /men/ (men), translation in Spanish: hombre / hombres.
Woman: /ˈwʊmən/ (woom-an), plural: women /ˈwɪmɪn/ (wim-in), pronunciation of plural: /ˈwɪmɪn/ (wim-in), translation in Spanish: mujer / mujeres.
Child: /tʃaɪld/ (child), plural: children /ˈtʃɪldrən/ (chil-dren), pronunciation of plural: /ˈtʃɪldrən/ (chil-dren), translation in Spanish: niño / niños (para ambos géneros).
Foot: /fʊt/ (foot), plural: feet /fiːt/ (feet), pronunciation of plural: /fiːt/ (feet), translation in Spanish: pie / pies.
Tooth: /tuːθ/ (tooth), plural: teeth /tiːθ/ (teeth), pronunciation of plural: /tiːθ/ (teeth), translation in Spanish: diente / dientes.
It's important to note that there are no official rules for irregular plurals in English. They simply exist as a result of the evolution of the language and the incorporation of words from various origins. However, this doesn't mean that learning them is a daunting task. Through repetition, usage, and developing good reading habits, irregular plurals will become second nature. It's all about memorizing the most common examples and recognizing patterns, which will help you use them correctly in your speech and writing. With practice and exposure to the language, you'll be using irregular plurals like a native speaker in no time!
When I first started learning English, irregular plurals seemed like a daunting task. However, I found that categorizing them into different groups made it much easier to remember them. I classified them into three categories: those that change one letter, those that don't change at all, and those that change a lot. For example, the plural of "foot" is "feet" and the plural of "tooth" is "teeth", while "deer" is the same in both singular and plural forms. By classifying them in this way, I was able to group similar patterns together and remember them more easily. For instance:
Some examples of plurals that don’t change too much are:
gymnasium gymnasia
nucleus nuclei
curriculum curricula
Some examples of word that don’t change at all in the plural:
Deer Deer
Sheep Sheep
Moose Moose
However, as I continued to learn, I discovered that some words had more than one plural form, which can be confusing at times. For example, the plural of "person" can be either "people" or "persons", and the plural of "walrus" can be "walri" or "walruses". Nonetheless, by reading a lot and paying attention to the way native speakers, or anything you read or listen, use these irregular plurals, I found that over time, they became much easier to remember and use correctly.
It's important to keep in mind that some irregular plurals can have multiple meanings, and it's always a good idea to check their usage in different contexts. For example, the word "staff" can refer to a group of employees, but it can also refer to a long stick used for walking. Similarly, the word "media" can refer to various forms of communication, but it can also refer specifically to journalists or news organizations. By paying attention to the context and usage of irregular plurals, we can better understand their meanings and avoid any potential misunderstandings.
In conclusion, mastering irregular plurals is an important step towards achieving a high level of proficiency in English. It goes beyond just knowing the basic plurals and can greatly improve your ability to communicate effectively in different contexts. Remember that there are no official rules for irregular plurals, but with memory, usage, and good reading habits, learning them can be less daunting. As I mentioned earlier, I found it helpful to categorize them based on how they change. Also, it's important to note that some plural forms can have different meanings in different contexts.
Finally, to help you in your journey towards mastering irregular plurals, I've attached three
PDF lists at the end of this post. These lists contain the most common irregular plurals, and 500 of the most uncommon irregular plurals, words that have two plural forms, and those that have three or more plural forms. With consistent practice and dedication, you'll soon be on your way to mastering irregular plurals in no time!
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