Irregular Plurals: Internal Vowel Change and -en Endings
Making Words Plural
Rulebase Summary
Some words form their plural by changing an internal vowel (mouse→mice, man→men, woman→women, foot→feet, tooth→teeth, louse→lice, goose→geese). Some words add -en for the plural (ox→oxen, child→children). These are irregular forms that must be known — no general rule predicts them.
Examples
A. Three mans were seen leaving the building.
A. Three men were seen leaving the building.
Irregular plural — internal vowel change.
A. The childrens were all present at the hearing.
A. The children were all present at the hearing.
Irregular -en plural. No further -s needed.
Transcript Notes
The accepted plural of 'mouse' when it refers to the computer device is 'mouses.' The word 'brother' has two acceptable plurals: 'brothers' refers to siblings, and 'brethren' is used in religious or fraternal contexts.
Style Guide References (2)
BGGP
BGGP