以f或fe结尾

编辑

大多数以f或fe结尾的名词的复数形式时将其转为ves，如：

calf → calves

elf → elves

half → halves

hoof → hooves

knife → knives

leaf → leaves

life → lives

loaf → loaves

scarf → scarfs/scarves

self → selves

sheaf → sheaves

shelf → shelves

thief → thieves

wife → wives

wolf → wolves

元音

编辑

有些名称的复数形式是改变它们的元音声：

fireman → firemen

foot → feet

goose → geese

louse → lice

man → men

mouse → mice

tooth → teeth

woman → women

古英语

编辑

有些是沿用古英语：

child → children

ox → oxen

以o结尾

编辑

有的以o结尾的单词加“s”：

auto → autos

kangaroo → kangaroos

kilo → kilos

memo → memos

photo → photos

piano → pianos

pimento → pimentos

pro → pros

solo → solos

soprano → sopranos

studio → studios

tattoo → tattoos

video → videos

zoo → zoos

有的则加“es”：

echo → echoes

embargo → embargoes

hero → heroes

potato → potatoes

tomato → tomatoes

torpedo → torpedoes

veto → vetoes

有的两种都可以：

buffalo → buffalos/buffaloes

cargo → cargos/cargoes

halo → halos/haloes

mosquito → mosquitos/mosquitoes

motto → mottos/mottoes

no → nos/noes

tornado → tornados/tornadoes

volcano → volcanos/volcanoes

zero → zeros/zeroes

不变

编辑

有的则不变：

cod → cod *

deer → deer

fish → fish *

offspring → offspring

perch → perch *

sheep → sheep

trout → trout *

注：带“*”号的都是鱼类，很多鱼类的复数形式都是不变的，但有例外

下面这些都是固有复数，即使单数也是像复数形式：

barracks → barracks

crossroads → crossroads

dice/die → dice

gallows → gallows

headquarters → headquarters

means → means

series → series

species → species

借用单词

编辑

英语中有些单词是借用其他语言的。部分借用单词的复数跟随外语形式，下面每行的第二个单词都是外语形式，第三个为现时英语使用：

alga → algae

amoeba → amoebae → amoebas

antenna → antennae → antennas

formula → formulae → formulas

larva → larvae →

nebula → nebulae → nebulas

vertebra → vertebrae

以“us”结尾的转为“a”（适用于专业术语）：

corpus → corpora

genus → genera

以“us”结尾的转为“i”：

alumnus → alumni

bacillus → bacilli

cactus → cacti → cactuses

focus → foci

fungus → fungi → funguses

nucleus → nuclei

octopus → octopi → octopuses

radius → radii

stimulus → stimuli

syllabus → syllabi → syllabuses

terminus → termini

以“um”结尾的转为“a”：

addendum → addenda

bacterium → bacteria

curriculum → curricula → curriculums

datum → data

erratum → errata

medium → media

memorandum → memoranda → memorandums

ovum → ova

stratum → strata

symposium → symposia → symposiums

以“ex”或“ix”结尾的转为“ices”：

apex → apices → apexes

appendix → appendices → appendixes

cervix → cervices → cervixes

index → indices → indexes

matrix → matrices → matrixes

vortex → vortices

以“is”结尾的转为“es”：

analysis → analyses

axis → axes

basis → bases

crisis → crises

diagnosis → diagnoses

emphasis → emphases

hypothesis → hypotheses

neurosis → neuroses

oasis → oases

parenthesis → parentheses

synopsis → synopses

thesis → theses

以“on”结尾的转为“a”：

criterion → criteria

phenomenon → phenomena

automaton → automata

英语中沿用其他语言的规则：

意大利语

libretto → libretti

tempo → tempi

virtuoso → virtuosi

希伯来语

cherub → cherubim

seraph → seraphim

希腊语

schema → schemata