Worked example 1
Make ‘party’ plural
- It ends in y.
- The letter before y is ‘t’ — a consonant.
- Change y to i and add -es.
Answer: parties
English · Foundation
Plural spelling rules: -s, -es, -ies and irregular plurals
A plural means more than one. Most English plurals follow a few spelling patterns, with a small set of irregular words to learn by heart.
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Before you start
Who it's for and what to know first
Knowing vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and consonants.
Learn it
How it works
- Most words: add -s. cat → cats, book → books.
- Words ending in s, x, z, ch or sh: add -es, because you can hear an extra syllable. bus → buses, box → boxes, church → churches.
- Consonant + y: change y to i and add -es. baby → babies, city → cities. Vowel + y: just add -s. day → days, key → keys.
- Many words ending in f or fe: change to -ves. leaf → leaves, knife → knives. Exceptions: roofs, chefs, beliefs.
- Irregular plurals change the word: child → children, mouse → mice, tooth → teeth, person → people. Some stay the same: sheep, fish, deer.
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Practice questions
Tips
Common mistakes
- Using an apostrophe for plurals (apple's). Plurals never need an apostrophe.
- Writing ‘monkies’ — check whether the letter before y is a vowel.
Last reviewed: 25 September 2026