The big list of regular plurals ending in -s, -es and -ies, arranged by level
Most nouns in English simply take -s to make a plural, without adding any other extra sounds or syllables, as in the one-syllable plurals “pets” and “sofas”. As in these examples, unvoiced final sounds like “t” are followed by the unvoiced sound “s” and voiced final sounds are followed by the voice “z” (both spelled with -s).
It is very easy to find examples of these basic regular +s plurals at every level, and there are far too many useful examples to list. This page therefore lists and explains other regular forms (+es and -ies) and a specific example of +s (words pronounced like -es has been added but with just -s because the singular already ends with -e).
There is a similar list of irregular plurals in the article How to Teach Irregular Plurals.
Plurals that take -es with an “iz” pronunciation and one added syllable (listed by level)
Nouns which end with a sound similar to “s” like “z” and “sh” need a vowel sound to divide them from the sound of the plural -s. For example, “glass” cannot be pronounced with one syllable as “glassz”. The vowel sound “i” and therefore one extra syllables is needed, making the two-syllable plural “glassiz”, spelt “glasses”. Most plurals spelt with an added -es have this final “iz” sound. This section gives useful examples for every level from A1 to C1/ C2.
Elementary
- buses
- churches
- classes
- contact lenses
- eyelashes
- glasses
- sandwiches
- actresses
- faxes
- peaches
- princesses
- waitresses
Pre-Intermediate
- beaches
- boxes
- brushes
- businesses
- dishes
- dresses
- inches
- watches
Intermediate
- bonuses
- bosses
- branches
- foxes
- kisses
- losses
- pitches
- speeches
- switches
- taxes
- viruses
- weaknesses
- wishes
- witches
- witnesses
Upper Intermediate
- affixes
- arches
- atlases
- benches
- biases
- bunches
- bushes
- circuses
- coaches
- cockroaches
- crashes
- crosses
- gases
- guesses
- illnesses
- matches
- passes
- prefixes
- punches
- radishes
- remixes
- riches
- sketches
- sketches
- successes
- suffixes
- torches
- wishes
Advanced
- abscesses
- approaches
- batches
- blemishes
- blotches
- blushes
- breaches
- brooches
- buttresses
- carcasses
- censuses
- choruses
- clutches
- complexes
- congresses
- crutches
- dispatches
- ditches
- excesses
- finches
- flashes
- fortresses
- goddesses
- harnesses
- hutches
- irises
- lasses
- launches
- leeches
- marches
- marshes
- masses
- mattresses
- mistresses
- parishes
- patches
- pluses
- porches
- pouches
- presses
- rashes
- recesses
- reflexes
- scratches
- searches
- sexes
- skirmishes
- splashes
- stitches
- stresses
- thicknesses
- trenches
- winches
Words which add -s to make plurals, but an “iz” pronunciation (listed by level)
Words which are spelt with a final -e never have an added -es, so “case” becomes “cases”, not “casees” X. However, like this example, the last sound of some words spelt with a final -e is similar to “s” and so a final “iz” pronunciation and an extra syllable is needed, just like the examples above. There are useful examples of final +s pronounced “iz” below for all levels from Elementary to Advanced.
Elementary
- bookcases
- colleges
- fridges
- garages
- houses
- nurses
- oranges
- pages
- palaces
- pencil cases
- sausages
- spices
- suitcases
- teleconferences
- video conferences
Pre-Intermediate
- advantages
- ages
- ambulances
- blouses
- bridges
- chances
- changes
- choices
- conferences
- dances
- differences
- disadvantages
- diseases
- excuses
- exercises
- experiences
- faces
- horses
- images
- increases
- languages
- necklaces
- nieces
- noises
- offices
- phrases
- pieces
- places
- promises
- responses
- services
- sizes
- stages
- surprises
- text messages
- uses
- villages
- wages
Intermediate
- acquaintances
- appearances
- audiences
- cabbages
- carriages
- cases
- clauses
- coincidences
- compromises
- conferences
- courses
- databases
- divorces
- expenses
- finances
- hostages
- ounces
- packages
- pauses
- performances
- preferences
- prices
- prizes
- purposes
- purses
- references
- romances
- shoelaces
- sledges
- slices
- spaces
- sponges
- terraces
- voices
- voyages
- workplaces
Upper Intermediate
- absences
- abuses
- advances
- alliances
- allowances
- appliances
- assurances
- auspices
- averages
- badges
- beverages
- braces
- bruises
- cages
- carriages
- causes
- charges
- circumstances
- consequences
- cottages
- cruises
- damages
- devices
- discharges
- distances
- disturbances
- doses
- edges
- enterprises
- entrances
- exchanges
- fences
- forces
- fragrances
- franchises
- fringes
- fuses
- glances
- grievances
- hedges
- hinges
- impulses
- inferences
- influences
- injustices
- instances
- interfaces
- invoices
- licenses
- marriages
- masterpieces
- messages
- mortgages
- moustaches
- notices
- occurrences
- paces
- passages
- percentages
- phases
- pledges
- poses
- practices
- prejudices
- privileges
- provinces
- purchases
- releases
- residences
- resources
- ridges
- roses
- sacrifices
- senses
- sequences
- sources
- substances
- surfaces
- traces
- urges
- utterances
- vases
- verses
- vices
- warehouses
Advanced
- accomplices
- aces
- allegiances
- appendages
- bandages
- barges
- bases
- blockages
- breezes
- bronzes
- caches
- cartridges
- collages
- condolences
- conveniences
- creases
- crevices
- curses
- disappearances
- dispatches
- embraces
- essences
- forges
- furnaces
- gauges
- glimpses
- gorges
- greenhouses
- guises
- haunches
- hoses
- imbalances
- impedances
- lapses
- leakages
- ledges
- licenses
- lineages
- linkages
- lodges
- midges
- miscarriages
- muses
- novices
- nuances
- nuisances
- outrages
- partridges
- pilgrimages
- porpoises
- pretences
- prototypes
- purges
- racehorses
- reassurances
- recurrences
- refuges
- reminiscences
- remittances
- resonances
- reverses
- savages
- sieges
- silences
- stances
- stoppages
- summonses
- surges
- synapses
- syringes
- tolerances
- tortoises
- typefaces
- variances
- vestiges
- voltages
- wedges
List of plurals ending in -ies by level
Plurals of words which end in a consonant and -y like “fly” are pronounced just with a final “z” sound without any extra syllable being added, but the spelling changes from -y to -ies. For example, the two-syllable word “nappy” changes to the two-syllable plural “nappies”, pronounced like “na-peez”. The five lists below give useful examples for learning and teaching this spelling rule for low-level, intermediate and high-level learners.
Elementary
- babies
- batteries
- butterflies
- celebrities
- cherries
- dictionaries
- documentaries
- factories
- French fries
- hobbies
- libraries
- nationalities
- photocopies stories
- strawberries
Pre-Intermediate
- accessories
- activities
- apologies
- buddies
- cities
- copies
- countries
- emergencies
- enquiries
- ladies
- memories
- parties
- raspberries
- similarities
- television personalities
Intermediate
- abilities
- allergies bodies
- bullies
- categories
- centuries
- charities
- difficulties
- disabilities
- discoveries
- duties
- galleries
- injuries
- necessities
- opportunities
- personalities
- replies
- responsibilities
- salaries
- spies
- strategies
- studies
- subsidiaries
- supplies
- tries
- universities
- varieties
- worries
Upper Intermediate
- allies
- anxieties
- authorities
- casualties
- ceremonies
- commodities
- communities
- controversies
- counties
- currencies
- deliveries
- democracies
- economies
- enemies
- facilities
- ferries
- flies
- galleries
- industries
- inequalities
- lorries
- luxuries
- ministries
- minorities
- mysteries
- obituaries
- policies
- priorities
- properties
- puppies
- quantities
- queries
- redundancies
- remedies
- societies
- theories
- victories
Advanced
- abnormalities
- adversaries
- agencies
- ambiguities
- amenities
- analogies
- annuities
- anomalies
- antibodies
- antiquities
- armies
- arteries
- atrocities
- autobiographies
- beauties
- beneficiaries
- boundaries
- capabilities
- capacities
- cemeteries
- certainties
- colonies
- commentaries
- competencies
- constituencies
- contemporaries
- contingencies
- curiosities
- daisies
- deficiencies
- deformities
- deities
- delicacies
- dependencies
- deputies
- destinies
- diaries
- dignitaries
- discrepancies
- disparities
- distilleries
- eccentricities
- embassies
- emissaries
- entities
- entries
- equities
- estuaries
- eventualities
- extremities
- fairies
- fantasies
- fatalities
- ferries
- festivities
- fisheries
- follies
- forgeries
- formalities
- functionaries
- galaxies
- hippies
- identities
- ideologies
- idiosyncrasies
- impurities
- inaccuracies
- inadequacies
- inconsistencies
- indignities
- inefficiencies
- insecurities
- intermediaries
- ironies
- irregularities
- laboratories
- liabilities
- localities
- loyalties
- luminaries
- melodies
- mercenaries
- mercies
- methodologies
- miseries
- missionaries
- monasteries
- monopolies
- municipalities
- nannies
- nappies
- necessities
- novelties
- obscenities
- oddities
- ovaries
- pansies
- pastries
- peculiarities
- penalties
- philosophies
- ponies
- poppies
- possibilities
- principalities
- prophecies
- qualities
- rarities
- refineries
- repositories
- robberies
- rubies
- sensibilities
- sensitivities
- signatories
- specialities
- specialties
- subsidies
- sympathies
- symphonies
- tapestries
- tendencies
- territories
- tragedies
- treaties
- tributaries
- utilities
- vacancies
- vagaries
- wellies
List of plurals ending in -ys by level
Unlike the words ending with a consonant plus -y above like “cry”/ “cries”, singular nouns ending with a vowel and -y don’t changes to -ies. For example, “toy” changes to “toys”, not “toies” X. Because all vowel sound are voiced, the final -s is always pronounced with the voiced sound “z” (like “toiz”). There are fewer examples of this than of the -ies endings above, with the most useful at each level listed here.
Elementary
- boys
- days
- holidays keys
- toys
Pre-Intermediate
- ashtrays
- essays
Intermediate
- birthdays
- deejays
- delays
- highways
- journeys
- monkeys
- plays
- trays
- ways
- weekdays
Upper Intermediate
- alleys
- attorneys
- buoys
- cowboys
- displays
- guys
- homestays
- motorways
- screenplays
- surveys
- trolleys
- turkeys
- valleys
Advanced
- abbeys
- alleyways
- alloys
- archways
- arrays
- bays
- bellboys
- castaways
- chimneys
- choirboys
- cockneys
- convoys
- decoys
- donkeys
- doorways
- driveways
- dual carriageways
- envoys
- fairways
- homeboys
- jerseys
- jockeys
- joys
- kidneys
- lackeys
- medleys
- ospreys
- pageboys
- paperboys
- passageways
- pathways
- paydays
- playboys
- ploys
- pulleys
- quays
- relays
- runways
- schoolboys
- sickbays
- slipways
- stingrays
- storeys
- stowaways
- strays
- sunrays
- tomboys
- volleys
- walkways
- washdays
- waterways
List of plurals ending in oes by level
Most words ending with -o can simply take -s or take both -s and -es. However, there are a few common words at each level which need to be spelt with a final -es, all listed here. The pronunciation is simply “z” without any added syllable. For instance, the two-syllable singular “hero” becomes the two-syllable plural “heroes”, pronounced like “here-rohz”. This make it different from the -es examples like “pass” and “passes” above.
Elementary
- potatoes
- tomatoes
Pre-Intermediate
- heroes
- superheroes
Intermediate
- zeroes
Upper Intermediate
- echoes
- volcanoes
Advanced
- buffaloes
- embargoes
- torpedoes
- vetoes
- weirdoes
Related articles:
- How to teach English plurals - Teaching tips, games and other classroom activities for regular and irregular plural nouns.
- How to Teach Irregular Plurals - Teaching tips and classroom activities for plurals without -s like "children", "sheep" and "alumni"