Irregular plurals and uncountable nouns

Plurals like men, children and feet, and nouns like money, news and advice that have no plural at all.

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Most nouns make the plural with -s or -es (see the spelling page). This page lists the common nouns that don't, and the nouns that have no plural because we don't count them.

Irregular plurals

These plurals change the word itself. Learn them as pairs.

One	Two or more
man	men
woman	women
child	children
person	people
foot	feet
tooth	teeth
mouse	mice

A few nouns are the same in the plural: one sheep, two sheep; one fish, three fish.

There are six women and four men in my team.
My feet hurt after the walk.
How many children have they got?
Incorrect: She has got three childs.
Correct: She has got three children.
Child has an irregular plural: children.
Incorrect: Two mans are waiting for you.
Correct: Two men are waiting for you.

People

People is the usual plural of person, so it takes a plural verb: people are. We use persons only in very formal notices.

A lot of people work from home now.
The people next door are very friendly.
Incorrect: The people is nice here.
Correct: The people are nice here.
People is plural, so use are.

-f and -fe: -ves

Many nouns that end in -f or -fe change to -ves.

One	Two or more
knife	knives
wife	wives
life	lives
half	halves
shelf	shelves
loaf	loaves

Some just add -s: roof → roofs, chef → chefs.

Put the knives and forks on the table, please.
Cut the oranges into halves.

Nouns that are only plural

Some things have two parts, and their names are always plural: trousers, jeans, shorts, glasses (for your eyes), scissors. To count them, say a pair of. Clothes is plural too, but we don't say a pair of clothes.

These jeans are too long.
I need a pair of black trousers for work.
Where are my glasses?
Incorrect: My trousers is dirty.
Correct: My trousers are dirty.

Uncountable nouns

Some nouns are things we don't count, like liquids, materials, food in general and ideas. They are uncountable. Here are some common ones.

Group	Uncountable nouns
food and drink	water, milk, coffee, tea, bread, rice, sugar, cheese
things	money, furniture, luggage, hair
ideas	information, advice, news, help
other	work, homework, weather, music, traffic

In many languages money, hair and news are plural words, and advice is countable. In English all four are uncountable.

What uncountable changes

An uncountable noun has no a or an and no plural, and it takes a singular verb. In questions and negatives, use much with it, not many: How much luggage? We haven't got much time. Use some and any, or a word for an amount, like a piece of, a bottle of, a cup of, a loaf of.

	Countable	Uncountable
a or an	a suitcase	luggage (not a luggage)
plural	two suitcases	luggage (not luggages)
verb	the suitcases are	the luggage is
how much	how many suitcases?	how much luggage?
an amount	some suitcases, a few suitcases	some luggage, a little luggage

Can you give me some information about the course?
She gave me a good piece of advice.
How much luggage have you got?
Incorrect: The money are on the table.
Correct: The money is on the table.
Money is uncountable, so the verb is singular.
Incorrect: I've got good news. They are about the job.
Correct: I've got good news. It's about the job.
News looks plural, but it is uncountable: news is, it.
Incorrect: Can you give me an advice?
Correct: Can you give me some advice?
Incorrect: We need some new furnitures.
Correct: We need some new furniture.
Incorrect: Her hair are very long.
Correct: Her hair is very long.
The hair on your head is uncountable.
Incorrect: How many money do you need?
Correct: How much money do you need?

Countable and uncountable

A few nouns can be both, with a different meaning. Coffee is uncountable as a drink in general, but in a café a coffee means a cup of coffee.

I don't drink coffee in the evening.
Can we have two coffees, please?

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Where this rule sits

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