Plurals

Irregular Plurals

Words that change shape instead of adding -s.

Mastered by: ASHA expects at least one irregular plural, like feet or men, in the 4-to-5-year band
Practice items: 62
Sections: 8

Play it

Each one opens full screen, already set to this skill.

The rule, explainedShow ↓

Some words do not take "-s" when there is more than one. The word itself changes.

One foot, two feet. One tooth, two teeth. One child, two children. One mouse, two mice.

And a few do not change at all: one sheep, two sheep. One fish, two fish.

One foot, two feet.
One child, three children.

Watch for: "Foots", "mouses", "childs" - the regular rule applied to an irregular word. Expected until about six.

What this skill is

A small group of very old English words make their plurals by changing the word itself rather than adding an ending. Foot becomes feet. Tooth becomes teeth. Mouse becomes mice. A few words do not change at all - one sheep, two sheep. Because there is no rule to apply, each one has to be learned individually.

What to expect

Expect "foots," "tooths," and "mouses" well into the preschool years. Like "goed" for "went," these are overgeneralizations and a sign the child has learned the regular rule. The irregular forms get sorted out gradually between 4 and 7, with the most frequent ones (feet, teeth, children, men) arriving first.

Try this at home

Irregular plurals are memorized, not derived, so frequency is everything. Pick four or five that actually come up in the child's life - feet, teeth, children - and use them deliberately every day rather than working through a long list once.

When to refer

Still using regularized forms like "foots" or "mans" after age 6.

Print it

Irregular Plurals worksheet62 items across 8 sections, with answer key · PDF

Put it into practice

Tap any item below to open it full screen, one at a time, so a child can answer without reading the answer first.

These activities are a starting point, not the practice itself. A structured task is a good way to introduce a form and to find out whether a child has it yet. What actually moves it into everyday speech is using it in the real world and in ordinary play — which means the four things below matter more than finishing the list.

Recast
Say their sentence back correctly, without asking them to repeat it. Child: “he goed.” You: “he went! Where did he go?”
Expand
Add one or two words to what they said and hand it back. Child: “big truck.” You: “a big red truck!”
Simplify what you ask
Cut a long instruction into single steps and say them in the order they happen, rather than repeating the long one louder.
Follow their lead
Use whatever they are already playing with. A form practiced on something they chose is the one that shows up again tomorrow.

Play it in a game ASHA Practice Portal

Words That Change

9 items

Fill in the blank with the correct plural. These do not take -s. Tap any item to open it full screen.

Words That Change: Round 210 moreOpen ↓

These words change their shape. Say the whole phrase. Tap any item to open it full screen.

Words That Change: Round 38 moreOpen ↓

These words change their shape. Say the whole phrase. Tap any item to open it full screen.

Words That Stay the Same

5 items

These words look exactly the same whether there is one or many. Tap any item to open it full screen.

Words That Stay the Same: Round 26 moreOpen ↓

These words look the same for one and for many. Tap any item to open it full screen.

Find the Mistake

8 items

Each sentence has one plural that is wrong. Say the sentence the correct way. Tap any item to open it full screen.

Find the Mistake: Round 28 moreOpen ↓

Each sentence has one plural wrong. Say it the right way. Tap any item to open it full screen.

Find the Mistake: Round 38 moreOpen ↓

Each sentence has one plural wrong. Say it the right way. Tap any item to open it full screen.