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Nouns and articles, part 3 of 4
Irregular Plurals in English: Child, Man, Woman, Foot and More
A few nouns do not add -s: they change form (man, men; child, children; foot, feet) or stay the same (fish, sheep).
The idea
What an irregular plural is
It is a plural that is not made with -s. There are only a few, but they are some of the most common nouns.
- The vowel changes. man, men; foot, feet.
- The word changes. child, children; person, people.
- Or nothing changes. one sheep, two sheep.
When to use it
To talk about people, the body, and animals, where the most common plurals are. These expressions go with it:
People and the body
- men
- women
- grandchildren
- teeth
With -ves
- knives
- leaves
- wives
- shelves
Animals
- geese
- sheep
- deer
Examples
- Children
The children are in the yard.
- People
Five people live in this house.
- The body
My feet hurt.
- Animals
There are two mice in the garage.
- No change
My son has five fish.
How to build it
4 steps
- Check if it is on the listThere are only a few, and they are very common:man, child, foot, mouse
- Change the vowel or the wordWith no -s:men, feet, children
- F or fe: usually -vesThe f becomes v:knives
- Some do not changeThe number or the verb shows the plural:one fish, two fish
Irregular plural
- number or theTwo
- irregular pluralwomen
- plural verbare
- rest of the sentenceat the door.
How they change
No -s
- womanwomen
- footfeet
- toothteeth
- personpeople
- mousemice
- leafleaves
- wifewives
- halfhalves
- fishfish
- deerdeer
How to pronounce it
women
/ˈwɪmɪn/The o sounds like the i in win: /ˈwɪmɪn/.
men
/mɛn/A clear /ɛ/; man has /æ/.
children
/ˈtʃɪldrən/Two syllables with a short i; child has /aɪ/.
people
/ˈpipəl/The eo sounds like a long /i/.
feet
/fit/A long /i/; foot has /ʊ/.
Check
One child, three (blank). Which one is it?
Don't confuse it with uncountable nouns
two sheep
Sheep: countable, no change
The information is new.
Information: no plural
Sheep and fish do not change, but you can count them: two sheep. Information and rice have no plural because you do not count them one by one.
Countable and uncountable nounsIn real life
Women is spelled with o but sounds like /ˈwɪmɪn/: the first syllable is the one that changes when you hear it.
Frequently asked questions
Is it people or persons in English?
Almost always people: two people, ten people. Persons appears only on signs and in official texts.
Is the plural of a computer mouse also mice?
Yes, mice works for both. You may hear mouses for computers, but on a test use mice.
What is the plural of goose and ox?
Geese and oxen. Moose does not change: one moose, two moose.
What is the everyday word for children?
Kids. It is a regular plural: one kid, two kids.
In short
- A few do not add -s: men, women, children, people.
- The vowel changes: feet, teeth, mice.
- F or fe usually becomes -ves: knives, leaves.
- Fish, sheep, and deer stay the same: two fish.