Irregular plurals

Pronunciation key

Native and Anglicized words

SingularPlural
aardwolf /ˈɑːdwʊlf/aardwolves /ˈɑːdwʊlvz/
alms /ɑːmz/alms
brother /ˈbɹɐðə*/brethren /ˈbɹɛðɹən/ 1
calf /kɑːf/calves /kɑːvz/
child /tʃaɪld/children /ˈtʃɪldɹən/
cod /kɒd/cod
cow /kaʊ/kine /kaɪn/ 1
craft /kɹɑːft/craft 2
deer /dɪə*/deer
elf /ɛlf/elves /ɛlvz/
fish /fɪʃ/fish
gallows /ˈgæləʊz/gallows
goose /guːs/geese /giːs/
grouse /gɹaʊs/grouse
house /haʊs/houses /ˈhaʊzɪz/ 3
hoof /huːf/hooves /huːvz/
knife /naɪf/knives /naɪvz/
leaf /liːf/leaves /liːvz/
life /laɪf/lives /laɪvs/
loaf /ləʊf/loaves /ləʊvz/
louse /laʊs/lice /laɪs/
man /mæn/men /mɛn/
means /miːnz/means
moose /muːs/moose
mouse /maʊs/mice /maɪs/
ox /ɒks/oxen /ˈɒksn/
pike /paɪk/pike
salmon /ˈsæmən/salmon
scarf /skɑːf/scarves /skɑːvz/ 1
sheaf /ʃiːf/sheaves /ʃiːvz/
sheep /ʃiːp/sheep
shelf /ʃɛlf/shelves /ʃɛlvz/
swine /swaɪn/swine
Swiss /swɪs/Swiss
thief /θiːf/thieves /θiːvz/
tooth /tuːθ/teeth /tiːθ/
trout /tɹaʊt/trout
wharf /ʍɔːf/wharves /ʍɔːvz/ 1
wolf /wʊlf/wolves /wʊlvz/
woman /ˈwʊmən/women /ˈwɪmɪn/

Loanwords

SingularPlural
addendum /əˈdɛndəm/addenda /əˈdɛndə/
alga /ˈælgə/algae /ˈælgi/
alumna /əˈlɐmnə/alumnae /əˈlɐmni/
alumnus /əˈlɐmnəs/alumni /əˈlɐmaɪ/
automaton /ɔˈtɒmət(ə)n/automata /ɔˈtɒmətə/
axis /ˈæksɪs/axes /ˈæksiːz/
basis /ˈbeɪsɪs/bases /ˈbeɪsiːz/
cactus /ˈkæktəs/cacti /ˈkæktaɪ/ 1
cherub /ˈtʃɛɹəb/cherubim /ˈtʃɛɹəbɪm/ 1
concerto /ˈkɒnˈtʃɛətəʊ/concerti /ˈkɒnˈtʃɛətɪ/ 1
corpus /ˈkɔːpəs/corpora /kɔːpəɹə/
crisis /ˈkɹaɪsɪs/crises /ˈkɹaɪsiːz/
criterion /kɹaɪˈtɪəɹɪən/criteria /kɹaɪˈtɪəɹɪə/
datum /ˈdeɪtəm/data /ˈdeɪtə/
formula /ˈfɔːmjʊlə/formulae /ˈfɔːmjʊlaɪ/ 1
forum /ˈfɔːɹəm/fora /ˈfɔːɹə/ 1
fungus /ˈfɐŋgəs/fungi /ˈfɐndʒaɪ/
hippopotamus /ˈhɪpəˈpɒtəməs/hippopotami /hɪpəˈpɒtəmaɪ/ 1
index /ˈɪndɛks/indices /ˈɪndɪsiːz/ 1
matrix /ˈmeɪtɹɪks/matrices /ˈmeɪtɹɪsiːz/ 1
memorandum /mɛməˈɹændəm/memoranda 1 /mɛməˈɹændə/
millenium /mɪˈlɛnɪəm/millennia /mɪˈlɛnɪə/
narcissus /nɑːˈsɪsəs/narcissi 1 /nɑːˈsɪsaɪ/
oasis /əʊˈeɪsɪs/oases /əʊˈeɪsiz/
paparazzo /pɑːpəˈɹɑːtsəʊ/paparazzi /pɑːpəˈɹɑːtsɪ/
phenomenon /fəˈnɒmɪnən/phenomena /fəˈnɒmɪnə/
radius /ˈɹeɪdɪəs/radii /ˈɹeɪdɪaɪ/
samurai /ˈsæmʊɹaɪ/samurai
series /ˈsɪəriːz/series
species /ˈspiːʃiːz/species
stigma /ˈstɪɡmə/stigmata 1 /stɪɡˈmɑːtə/
tsunami /(t)sʊˈnɑmɪ/tsunami 1
vertex /ˈvɜtɛks/vertices 1 /ˈvɜtɪsiːz/
vortex /ˈvɔtɛks/vortices 1 /ˈvɔtɪsiːz/


Notes

1 also regular

2 vessel

3 The written plural is regular.