Singular & Plural Nouns Ending in CH SH X Z S

English pluralization follows numerous patterns, but one of the most distinctive involves nouns ending with specific consonant sounds. While most English nouns simply add an “s” to form their plural version, certain word endings require special treatment to maintain pronunciation clarity and phonetic harmony.

Nouns ending in -ch, -sh, -s, -ss, -x, and -z require the addition of “-es” rather than just “-s” when forming their plurals. This spelling rule serves a phonetic purpose – it creates a buffer syllable that makes these plurals easier to pronounce and more pleasing to the ear.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the complete patterns, rules, exceptions, and extensive examples of how these special-case nouns behave in English grammar.

Why Add -ES Instead of Just -S?

The addition of “-es” to certain nouns creates an extra syllable that makes pronunciation smoother. Let’s understand this concept through examples:

• The word “church” becomes “churches” (not “churchs”)
• The word “bus” becomes “buses” (not “buss”)
• The word “box” becomes “boxes” (not “boxs”)

Without this extra vowel sound, these plurals would create awkward consonant clusters that native English speakers find difficult to pronounce fluently.

Complete Guide to Nouns Ending in -CH

Nouns ending in -ch form their plurals by adding -es. This pattern applies to both soft ch sounds (as in “church”) and hard ch sounds (as in “monarch”).

Examples of Nouns Ending in -CH

Special Cases and Exceptions

• Stomach: The plural is “stomachs” (not “stomaches”)
• Monarch: The plural is “monarchs” (not “monarches”)
• Patriarch: The plural is “patriarchs” (not “patriarches”)

These exceptions generally involve compound words where “-ch” is part of a larger Greek or Latin root word rather than a basic English word ending.

Complete Guide to Nouns Ending in -S

Nouns ending in -s add -es to form their plurals, creating an additional syllable that helps distinguish the plural form from the singular.

Examples of Nouns Ending in -S

*Note: Some words ending in -s follow Latin or Greek pluralization rules instead of the English -es pattern.

Latin and Greek Exceptions

Many scientific and academic terms retain their original Latin or Greek plural forms:

*Technically, “octopi” is a hypercorrection since octopus comes from Greek, not Latin. The most linguistically accurate plural would be “octopodes,” though “octopuses” is the most commonly accepted form in modern English.

Complete Guide to Nouns Ending in -SH

Words ending in -sh add -es to form their plurals. This creates an additional syllable that makes the word easier to pronounce.

Examples of Nouns Ending in -SH

*Note: “Fish” can remain unchanged when referring to multiple fish of the same species, while “fishes” is used when referring to multiple species of fish.

Complete Guide to Nouns Ending in -SS

Words ending in -ss follow the same pattern as other sibilant endings, adding -es to form their plurals. This creates a clearer distinction between singular and plural forms.

Examples of Nouns Ending in -SS

Usage Notes for -SS Nouns

Unlike some other categories, nouns ending in -ss have very few exceptions. The -es ending creates a new syllable that clearly distinguishes the plural form and makes these words easier to pronounce. For instance:

• “One glass, two glasses” (not “glasss”)
• “A single process, multiple processes” (not “processs”)

This consistent pattern makes -ss nouns relatively straightforward compared to other categories in this guide.

Complete Guide to Nouns Ending in -X

Nouns ending in -x typically add -es to form their plurals. However, this category has some interesting exceptions, particularly with words of Latin and Greek origin.

Examples of Nouns Ending in -X

Latin and Scientific Exceptions

Many scientific and technical terms maintain their classical Latin pluralization:

In many cases, the traditional Latin plural is preferred in scientific and academic contexts, while the Anglicized form might be more common in everyday usage.

Complete Guide to Nouns Ending in -Z

Words ending in -z also add -es to form their plurals. This is one of the less common endings in English, but the pattern remains consistent.

Examples of Nouns Ending in -Z

*Note: Words ending in a single -z often double the ‘z’ before adding -es.

Special Rule: Doubling the Z

Unlike other endings covered in this guide, many words ending in a single -z require doubling the final letter before adding -es:

• Quiz → Quizzes (not “Quizes”)
• Buzz → Buzzes (not “Buzes”)
• Fez → Fezzes (not “Fezes”)

This pattern follows the general English spelling rule of doubling a final consonant when it follows a short vowel sound.

Pronunciation Guide for -ES Endings

Understanding how to correctly pronounce plural nouns with -es endings is just as important as knowing how to spell them. Here’s a simple guide:

Single vs. Double Syllable Addition

• One syllable added: Most -es endings add just one syllable to the word
  • box → box-es
  • church → church-es
  • bus → bus-es
• Special case – words ending in -sis: When a word ends in -sis, the plural changes to -ses and doesn’t add a syllable
  • thesis → theses (pronounced “THEE-seez”, not “THEE-sis-ez”)
  • crisis → crises (pronounced “CRY-seez”, not “CRY-sis-ez”)

Stress Pattern Shifts

In some multisyllabic words, adding -es can shift the stress pattern slightly:

• ‘PRO-cess → pro-‘CESS-es
• ‘DI-a-gnos-is → di-ag-‘NO-ses

Common Errors and How to Avoid Them

Even native English speakers sometimes make mistakes with these plural forms. Here are some common errors and ways to avoid them:

Mistake #1: Forgetting to Add -ES to Words Ending in -SS

❌ “I have three glass.”
✓ “I have three glasses.”

Mistake #2: Using Latin Plurals Incorrectly

❌ “The octopi are swimming.”
✓ “The octopuses are swimming.” (preferred in modern English)

Mistake #3: Not Doubling Z Before Adding -ES

❌ “I took several quizes last week.”
✓ “I took several quizzes last week.”

Mistake #4: Incorrectly Applying -ES to Words That Follow Different Rules

❌ “The stomaches were examined.”
✓ “The stomachs were examined.”

Additional Categories That Follow the -ES Pattern

Beyond the six main categories discussed above, several other word endings follow similar patterns:

Words Ending in -O

Some nouns ending in -o add -es in their plural forms, especially when the -o is preceded by a consonant:

However, many -o words (especially those of foreign origin or musical terms) simply add -s:

• Pianos (not pianoes)
• Photos (not photoes)
• Solos (not soloes)

Teaching and Learning Strategies

For English language learners and young native speakers, these pluralization rules can be challenging. Here are some effective strategies for mastering them:

Memory Techniques

A simple rhyme to remember: “When a noun ends with a hiss, the plural takes an -es.”

The “hiss” sounds include:

• ch as in church
• sh as in dish
• s as in bus
• ss as in glass
• x as in box
• z as in buzz

Practice Exercises

Creating regular practice with these plural forms helps cement the patterns:

1. Make flashcards with singular forms on one side and plurals on the other
2. Practice reading sentences aloud that contain multiple plural forms
3. Play word games that specifically target these plural patterns

Complete Reference Tables

For quick reference, here’s a compilation of the most common nouns from each category and their plural forms:

Comprehensive Word Lists by Category

-CH Words

• church → churches
• bench → benches
• branch → branches
• lunch → lunches
• beach → beaches
• coach → coaches
• patch → patches
• match → matches
• witch → witches
• sandwich → sandwiches

Exceptions:

• stomach → stomachs
• monarch → monarchs
• patriarch → patriarchs

-S Words

• bus → buses
• lens → lenses
• virus → viruses
• census → censuses
• campus → campuses
• iris → irises
• gas → gases
• bias → biases

Latin/Greek Exceptions:

• analysis → analyses
• thesis → theses
• crisis → crises
• basis → bases
• diagnosis → diagnoses
• hypothesis → hypotheses

-SH Words

• dish → dishes
• brush → brushes
• wish → wishes
• crash → crashes
• flash → flashes
• trash → trashes
• bush → bushes
• parish → parishes

-SS Words

• glass → glasses
• class → classes
• boss → bosses
• dress → dresses
• kiss → kisses
• process → processes
• address → addresses
• success → successes

-X Words

• box → boxes
• fox → foxes
• tax → taxes
• mix → mixes
• fix → fixes
• suffix → suffixes
• prefix → prefixes

Latin/Greek Exceptions:

• matrix → matrices
• index → indices/indexes
• vertex → vertices
• appendix → appendices/appendixes

-Z Words

• quiz → quizzes
• buzz → buzzes
• fez → fezzes
• waltz → waltzes
• blitz → blitzes
• whiz → whizzes
• topaz → topazes

Pronunciation Guide

• Regular -es: Adds one syllable (bus → bus-es)
• -sis words: Changes to -ses without adding syllable (thesis → theses)

Conclusion

The English language’s pluralization rules for nouns ending in -ch, -sh, -s, -ss, -x, and -z may seem complex at first, but they follow logical patterns based on pronunciation needs. By adding -es rather than just -s, we create more euphonic plural forms that are easier to pronounce and clearer to understand.